What Comes Next
by GabbyFerg
Summary: This is a story about Wanda's life after the events of Age of Ultron. It includes how she deals with Pietro's death, the friendships she develops with the other Avengers, and all the potential dangers her powers hold. Obviously, there are AoU spoilers. I also changed minor details here and there to fit with my story.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fanfic I hope you guys all like it! (i have no idea how long this is going to be btw).

Chapter 1

It was nights like these that Wanda liked to sit on the roof of the Avengers tower and look at the stars. They weren't the same as they had been in Sokovia. All the lights and sounds of the city drowned the stars out. At least she was far up enough from the ground so she couldn't hear the cars go by, only the wind as it softly blew. Wanda sighed. It was peaceful, about 2 or so in the morning, so everyone else was asleep. It was so quiet that she'd be able to hear anyone coming onto the platform, which gave her enough time to get out of sight if need be. She knew nobody would judge her for her erratic sleeping patterns and for wanting to be alone, but she sometimes felt uncomfortable around the Avengers, especially when she was emotional. They all knew what was eating her up inside.

Pietro had died about a month ago. _Yes, it would be a month now._ She couldn't tell whether or not it felt like a long time. _Why is it that sometimes I feel like he's been gone forever, and sometimes it feels like it was only yesterday he was with me._ She thought that it was probably because she spent so much time with Pietro that not being together for this long was agonizing. And it was only going to get worse with each passing day. She sighed again. Wanda had been devastated when her parents had died. She lost almost everything, everything except her older brother. The one who said he would take care of her and protect her from anything. This was like losing her parents all over again, except worse because now she was alone.

 _You can't protect me from this, brother. You can't distract me with your sarcasm or hold me in your arms while I cry because you're the reason in crying. You're not here to help me anymore._

Wanda silently cursed at herself. She shouldn't blame Pietro for dying. She knew what he did was heroic, but she also knew that she hated him for it. _Why did it have to be him? Didn't he know that I needed him? That I'd be lost without my brother._ She hated feeling this way. It made her feel weak and guilty. So it was only at night, when she was alone, that Wanda let herself feel all of the ugly and unnatural emotions she never dared to feel anytime else.

The tears rolled down her cheeks in constant waves. There was no point in trying to wipe them away. They would just keep coming. She didn't know how long she would keep coming out here at night. It only started about a week ago, but it was already beginning to affect her training. Steve thought it was a good idea to start her Avengers training as soon as possible, he probably figured it would distract her from her grief. He was always hitting a punching bag whenever he was upset. He only had her doing small things, like learning the basics of surveillance and hand to hand combat to get her started out. He said she couldn't always rely on her powers. _Pietro should be here with me, training. He would have liked to live here surrounded by people who were like him._

She should probably head inside now and try to get some sleep. She would have dark circles under eyes tomorrow, no matter how much makeup she tried to use to cover it up. Natasha and Steve would start to get suspicious if she showed up everyday exhausted, although they probably already were. However, she couldn't bring herself to stand up and go back to her room. At least, not until she heard someone coming up behind her. She quickly scurried to her feet and hid behind a panel that stuck out from the wall. She knew how it would look if she were caught, hiding like a child, so she held her breath praying that whoever it was hadn't spotted her.

"It's a beautiful night for a little star gazing, don't you think, Wanda," the familiar voice said.

I want to show how Wanda is doing after such a terrible loss, as Pietro was the only one in her life for a long time. I also wanted to show how Wanda is not quite ready to open herself up to the other avengers yet. But that'll change in the next chapter after a conversation with a certain someone.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Wanda, I know you're over there," Natasha spoke quieter know. She thought speaking more softly would coax Wanda out of the corner she was in. _I feel like I'm trying to lure a scared cat out of hiding._ She wasn't completely wrong in this assumption. Natasha knew Wanda wanted to be alone and that she had scared her into hiding. Natasha also thought that Wanda's big green eyes sometimes resembled that of a cat, not that she ever mentioned it. Deciding to take a different approach she walked forward to the edge of the tower where Wanda had just been sitting, and promptly sat down. She didn't attempt to look at Wanda, even though all she had to do was turn her heard 90 degrees to the right to see her. Instead, she sat, looking out at the skyline, and waited for the girl to join her. "C'mon," she said casually, indicating that she should join Natasha.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you or anything. I should just…I'll go back to my room." Wanda began to walk away before Natasha intervened.

"Sit," Natasha said a more forcefully, but still gently enough. "Please." Wanda made her way over silently, looking as if she expected to be scolded for being out of bed so late. Natasha knew she was a hard person to read, she prided herself on looking indifferent most of the time. As a spy it was her job to be unreadable. So it was sometimes, well more than just sometimes, hard to open herself up. She had let Bruce in, but he was gone now. She knew it had more to due with himself and his insecurities rather than her, but it still hurt. Natasha, who still hadn't looked at Wanda for her benefit as much as her own, took a deep breath. She decided to start with a fact. "I've known for the past three days that you've been getting out of bed and coming out here." Natasha could feel Wanda stiffen. "I didn't mean to invade your privacy. I noticed how exhausted you've been at training these past couple of days, so I did a little investigating. I was worried. You should know, as a spy and all, it's kind of my job to know when people are hiding things." Wanda was still rigid and Natasha knew why. They were both anticipating for the moment when she brought up Pietro.

Wanda's grief was easy enough to see, especially during her first few weeks with the team. Natasha wasn't fooled though; she knew Wanda was carrying a lot more inside than she was letting out. _That's probably why she comes out here, to let out some of her grief when no one's around._ "You didn't want anyone to know you were here. I can understand that. Talking about my feelings isn't something I…excel at, either." She took a deep breath before continuing. "When I was really young someone in my life didn't tolerate weakness," she wanted to shudder at the thought of Madame B, "and this person definitely thought that emotions were a weakness. This person-she made me-" Natasha was stumbling over her words now. She hadn't intended to bring up her past. She just wanted Wanda to know that there were people here who cared for her and who would listen to her. She wanted Wanda to know that she didn't need to go through this alone.

Natasha turned to face Wanda and met the gaze of the scared kid who was going through so much. She wore a long black t-shirt and red pajama pants. The lights from the city illuminated the wet path of tears that kept flowing down her cheeks. "You knew Pietro better than anyone. You spent your entire life together, but now that he's gone…" Wanda eyes went to the floor between them. "He was such a big part of your life and you have to talk about him. All the good and bad memories you two shared, you should talk about them. It doesn't matter if it's with me or Steve, hell even Tony, just don't keep it inside, okay?" Natasha looked at Wanda expectantly to confirm that she understood.

"My brother and I loved looking at the stars when we were little. They were much easier to see in Sokovia, so when it was warm enough we would lie outside on the roof of our building and fall asleep together under the stars. Sometimes my parents would join us, before…before everything changed. It feels like a lifetime ago now."

Natasha didn't know what more to say. She didn't have the answers for her; she'd be lying if she told Wanda the pain would go away. She knew all she could do was listen as Wanda told her more stories about Pietro and her parents. She instinctively put her hand on Wanda's backas more tears began to roll down her cheeks. 

Even Natasha lost track of time as the two sat together, perched edge of the Avengers tower. Wanda had mostly told her about times when the twins were little, and their parents were still alive. She told Natasha about the mischief they caused together, about how many headaches the twins gave their parents. "It seemed like we were always laughing about one thing or another," she had said with a sad smile.

"We should probably go to bed. I didn't mean to keep you up this late," Wanda continued.

"We can go in if you like, or we can stay here. I didn't really know Pietro and this seems like a good way to get to know him, but if you're tired we can talk more later." Wanda nodded. She was noticeable tired, but she seemed more at peace, like talking about her brother had helped her.

"That would be nice. Thank you, Natasha," she replied. The redhead smiled and they both got up, silently making their way to their rooms. They finally departed when they reached Wanda's room, as Natasha's was further down the hall. They gave each other a small smile as Wanda closed the door. They would both be tired tomorrow, but it was worth it. Natasha didn't plan on telling anyone else about their encounter, besides Steve. As co-heads of their little team he just wanted to reassure Steve that Wanda would be okay. She didn't plan on going into detail about their conversation; she would just tell him that they talked. Natasha entered her room and groaned silently when she saw the time. It was well past four and they would have to be up in only a few hours for training. _Tomorrow's gonna be a long day._

Okay, I had a hard time characterizing Natasha. I think that Natasha would want to help Wanda, but has so many emotional issues herself that she represses so she has a somewhat difficult time comforting her. I also wanted to show a family type bond between the two were Natasha takes a more protective role over Wanda. The third chapter will be the next morning and introduce the other avengers. Expect more lighthearted humor than what you have seen already. I hope you guys like the story so far!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Wanda walked down into the kitchen a little later than usual. She wanted to sleep a bit more sleep, hoping it would make her feel less sluggish. If she weren't so tired Wanda would've felt better than she had in weeks. Talking with Natasha, telling stories about her brother, it helped more than she thought it would. Natasha offered to listen to Wanda whenever she needed someone to talk to, and Wanda hoped they'd get the chance to talk more.

The team all typically had a small breakfast together before they started training. As she came into view she saw Sam and Rhodey sitting at the table eating cereal, Natasha sitting with them reading the paper, and Steve leaning against the kitchen cabinets with a cup of coffee in his hand. She guessed Tony and Vision weren't down yet.

"Geez, you look just as bad as Romanoff," Steve said sipping his coffee. He then looked from Wanda's disheveled appearance over to Natasha, who glared at him. Wanda didn't know if Natasha had told Steve about their conversation yet, or if she planned to at all. "Not that you look…bad, per say, I just meant..." he looked around the room to see if anyone would help him out, but he was alone. Even Sam just looked at him as he continued. "I just meant that you look tired. Not bad though, definitely not bad. You two look…good. Beautifully, actually." Natasha smiled and rolled her eyes, briefly glancing at Wanda before returning to her paper. She knew the whole situation was playful, but Wanda was still a little on edge from last night.

"Wow, really good save there, Cap," Rhodes said with a chuckle before shoving a spoonful of Cheerios in his mouth.

"What, who needs saving this early?" Tony asked strolling into the kitchen past Wanda, who still hung by the door. He said he wasn't a morning person, but he had a little pep in his step as he walked into the kitchen. He took an apple from the counter and threw it around in his hands a little before taking a huge bite. "No one, Tony. Steve here was just trying to save himself," Rhodes answered.

"From?" he asked.

"All things Natasha," Sam chimed in with a chuckle. Tony looked around, still not understanding and settled on Steve for further explanation. Trying to defend himself Steve said, "Look, I was just commenting on how tired Wanda and Natasha look." Tony put the apple on the counter, rested his elbows on the granite surface, and theatrically threw his hands over his eyes. "Way to go, Pops. You just insulted the only two girls in this world who could probably kick your ass. You know, I thought you were the well mannered one." 

"I am," Steve muttered into his cup before taking another sip.

"Well you could've fooled me." Tony said feigning disappointment. He looked at Natasha and Wanda before continuing. "Now that being said, you two do look tired. What, did you have a little girl talk last night? Did you drink wine and curse all the men in world?" Tony gasped. "Was there pillow talk?" Tony was smirking now with his hands in fists under his chin, looking at Natasha knowingly.

"Tony-"

"Oh yeah, tons of pillow talk. You should have been there." Everyone turned to look at Wanda, shocked by her answer. She herself was surprised that she interrupted Natasha with a witty answer of her own. She hadn't spoken before then and wished for them to drop the subject earlier. However, something inside her told her to join in on their playful banter. Maybe it was the conversation she had last night that gave her some newly found confidence.

She decided to take it one step further and casually walked over to the coffee machine as if she had said nothing at all. She smiled to herself as her back was turned while pouring the coffee into a cup. She heard a "hhmm" from Tony before he added, "was this an invitation only kind of party?" Wanda was standing next to Steve now as she tried to think up another clever thing to say when Natasha answered. "Yeah, Tony, very secret. Sorry you didn't make the cut."

"Denied from a party in my own home," Tony shook his head, "now that's just rude. Speaking of, my home, not the rude part, when will the new Avengers facility be ready? It's a hoot having you all here really, but every time you guys train I have to rebuild a wall. Plus, there have been more than a few incidents with Pepper, Vision, and me."

"What do you mean by incidents?" Sam asked, although it didn't really sound like a question. Wanda knew Vision had a habit of surprising people by going into rooms through walls, so it didn't take a wild imagination to figure out what these 'incidents' were. Nobody could really blame him though; Vision was only a month old.

"Um, the details aren't important." Everyone was looking at Tony in amusement. They all knew, even if Tony wouldn't say it. "Look, the point is-someone answer my question, dammit."

"We don't know when the facility will be ready," Steve answered.

"If you like, Mr. Stark, I can assess the building modification plans and give you an estimated date of completion." Vision said this moments after going through the refrigerator next to Wanda. Everyone was slightly startled, but stood in view of the fridge, so they saw Vision come in before he spoke. Tony was the only one with his back turned. He was also the only one that jumped as soon as Vision talked.

"Jesus, Vision! You need to carry a bell around or something."

"My apologies. The new Avengers facility base should be completed within in the next two weeks."

"That's fourteen walls you'll have to rebuild, Tony," Rhodes said with a smirk.

"And who knows how many more incidents will happen by then," Wanda said with a laugh, unable to hold it back. Tony and Vision were the only ones who didn't laugh, but for different reasons. It was obvious that Vision hadn't heard their earlier conversation. Tony turned to Wanda and took a bit of his apple. "All right, I was willing to let it slide before, but this is still my house. I'm sorry Wanda, but you leave me no choice. You're grounded for two weeks. Hand me your cellphone and go to your room." It was the seriousness in his voice that made his words all the funnier.

"I don't have a cellphone."

Tony threw up his hands in another dramatic display. "I'm trying to be reasonable here, what kid doesn't have a cellphone." Steve shook his head. Wanda figured he was still trying to catch up to all the technological advances that have occurred since World War II.

"Alright, c'mon guys. We should get to the training center," Steve said putting his empty cup down. Everyone was getting up and leaving the kitchen when Tony yelled, "Don't I have any authority in my own home anymore!" Wanda looked back at Tony to see Natasha pat his back and say, "Oh, Tony, you never did. Pepper always ran this place," before following the rest of them down stairs.

I hope you guys like this chapter! I kind of introduced the rest of the team all at once, but I plan on showing Wanda's specific relationship with each of them later. I also made this chapter lighter with a lot of banter because I think that's what living with the team would be like. I hope you like the way I'm writing the characters and I hope you all like the story! This is my first fanfic so I'm open to any feedback you guys might have. In the next chapter we will see Wanda use her powers and what that means for her.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Minor CACW spoilers follow even though the story takes place right after Age of Ultron…you'll know it when you see it.

Wanda was by no means a soldier or a spy, but her battle against Ultron proved to Steve that she could hold her own. However, she still had a lot to learn. They couldn't have their newest member going on missions without any tactical or strategic knowledge. Inexperience could mean the death of her and innocent people. Although Steve knew he didn't need to tell Wanda that. She would know that better than any of them. Still, Steve knew she was becoming restless. Everyone else on their team already had physical training and skill in combat, or was an all knowing android, like Vision, who didn't need to learn as Wanda did. Wanda just wanted to be on the same level as her teammates, which Steve could understand. When he first joined the army he was always at a physical disadvantage and he hated it. But he didn't let that stop him just like Wanda didn't let it stop her. She came in everyday and did as Steve asked, but he understood how it was hard on her.

Everyone else practiced by sparring, shooting targets, or coming up with infiltration strategies while Wanda was stuck doing memory games. Steve had been giving her the tests that police officers in training take. She stared at a picture for five minutes then was given a test with questions about the picture she had tried to memorize. Steve had wanted to move Wanda on to more combat training. He wanted to get Wanda to a stage where she could use her powers, but not fully rely on them. The quicker she got to this stage the quicker they could learn how to work as a full team, shiny red powers and all. Plus, Steve knew how useful Wanda's powers would be in the field. However, he hadn't moved her past the visual learning yet because the past few days Wanda seemed out of it.

After the Battle of Sokovia, Wanda agreed to become an official avenger, but everyone thought it was best to give her some time before she started training. He expected her to take more than just a little over a week, but Wanda said sitting around all day was making her go crazy. She needed a distraction so Steve gave the green light to get started. He was wondering if it was a mistake to let her come back so soon when he heard someone come up behind him.

Natasha walked up next to Steve and crossed her arms together as Steve did. They both stood in the hallway between the doors that led to the training center and the small office Wanda was in. They watched her as she fiercely erased something on her paper before looking up at the clock so see how much time she had left. She didn't seem confident. "She's distracted, again," Steve noted. His tone sounded disappointed, but Steve was more worried about Wanda's well being than her ability to preform well. "Maybe she should take a few days off and get some rest," he offered.

"No, she'll be fine. Just give her sometime. She's still getting used to everything."

"I'm not saying it's her fault. We need someone who's completely focused in the field."

"You've seen her use her powers, she can hold her own."

"But that was before-" Before Pietro died he wanted to say, but he decided against it. Natasha knew what he meant. "I'm worried, that's all."

"So was I," she replied smoothly.

"What do you mean 'was'? You aren't anymore?"

"No."

"Since when?"

"Since we talked last night." Steve turned to Natasha surprised. They had both discussed talking to Wanda, but Steve figured he would be the one to do it. He also figured Natasha would've told him sooner. _Well, now I feel like an ass. That's why they both look so tired._ "What did you talk about?"

Natasha shrugged. "Stuff." Steve gave her a look. _Is she really not going to tell me?_ "Look all I told her was that she could talk to us and she did. She opened up to me, so trust me when I say she'll be fine."

"Alright. I wish you would've told me sooner."

"Oh no, I thoroughly enjoyed you making an ass of yourself." Steve sighed and shook his head playfully as Natasha left. It was only a few minutes later that Wanda came out of the office with her test in hand. "Here," she flatly said, obviously not impressed with her work.

"You know what? Let's try something different today." Steve took the test from her ring-covered hands and threw it in the nearest trashcan. Wanda's eyes grew wide in astonishment. "Come on." Steve led Wanda into the training center. It's walls were at least thirty feet high and made of concrete, which already had a few cracks from today's training. Judging by the height it was either Sam or Vision who inflicted the wounds. Different blue and black mats covered the floors along with different shaped boxes they used as obstacles. There was a small corner with a few weights and a treadmill. The place was temporary so they didn't have much, but Steve had asked for a few training dummies and punching bags to be put in. Natasha also wanted a small shooting range, but settled for a simulation shooting game that Tony invented. Steve thought it would suffice, but Natasha said it wasn't the same as firing a real gun.

The two walked past Vision and Natasha as they talked. Natasha looked at Steve approvingly while Vision looked at Wanda and gave a small smile. For a second Steve thought he saw Wanda blush as she smiled back, but didn't pay too much attention to it and kept walking. As they continued walking Steve saw Tony fixing something on War Machine's suit. Tony wasn't an active member of the avengers anymore, but he let the team live at the tower and often helped out with designing weapons and such. _It would be a waste if we didn't let a 'genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist' like Tony help us out._ Steve silently laughed to himself as he remembered when Tony first said that, and all the times he's said it since.

"Yeah, you're right. These thrusters are lagging a bit. It might be that some dust particles got into the plasma discs from your last trip to the Middle East. It should be fine for now, but I'll look at it in more detail later. The last thing we need is for the thrusters to fail and have you plummet out of the sky to your death." *

"Well, that's beautiful, Tony. Really, thank you for that picture."

"Course buddy," Tony replied before turning to see Steve and Wanda walking towards them. "Hey, Little Witch! Finally able to join the big kids?"

"How can she be joining the big kids if you're here?" Rhodes reasoned.

Tony scoffed. "When did it become Rag on Tony Day? Seriously. Well, whatever. I have to go. I'm busy letting you all live in my home and making you guys cool new weapons so."

"Tony, you know we appreciate everything you're doing for us," Steve replied.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. I've got a heart of gold. Don't get all mushy on me, Cap. Go punch my walls or whatever it is you guys do down here." Tony and Rhodes walked away so Steve turned his attention to Wanda.

"Alright Wanda, let's see what you got."

The past 24 hours were so different for Wanda, she was sure was dreaming. First, she had the talk with Natasha and now she got to practice with the team! Steve had her start out small, sending a few blasts at still targets, then moving ones after an hour or so. It came as a pleasant surprise for Wanda to use her powers to this extent.

A warm buzz came over Wanda whenever she used her ability. She mostly felt it in her hands, but when she hurled really big blast of energy or moved something really big she felt the sensation traveling throughout her body. Wanda was powerful, she knew that much, but sometimes this buzz overwhelmed her. Whenever she was really focused or angry it felt more like a thousand violent bees buzzing inside of her that were trying to get out instead of the usual light hum that washed over her. She also didn't always remember what she did while she was in this state. There were still parts of the Battle of Sokovia that she couldn't quite remember. She remembered all of the pain and sadness she felt when Pietro died and confronting Ultron, but other pieces of her memory were a blur.

Wanda never mentioned it to anyone else, not even Pietro. He always had such a handle on his powers and it had only happened a few times. Besides the day her brother died, it had only ever happened when Strucker was experimenting on her. Wanda pushed the uneasy feeling to the back of her mind. She didn't want to think about what that madman did to her and her brother, especially while she was training. Wanda didn't want to appear distracted in front of Steve anymore than she already had and elected to think about it all later when she was alone.

"You're doing great," Steve observed. "This is all about accuracy. Maybe we can pick this up tomorrow and figure out the different levels of these blasts. You need to know what's just going to knock a person out and what's going to kill someone." Wanda simply nodded. She never told the team, but Strucker conducted more than just blood and genetic testing. As soon as their powers manifested Wanda and Pietro were tested to their limits. Strucker wanted efficient weapons, which meant knowing the difference between killing a man and knocking him unconscious. _Perhaps Steve forgot about the time I warped the minds of 'The Earth's Mightiest Heroes' and turned them into useless rag dolls._

Wanda played along though. She wasn't expecting to use her powers at all today and didn't want to push her luck. However, she decided that tomorrow she'd mention that she already knew everything that Steve was trying to teach her, even if she had to explain where she learned it. _That will be a fun conversation._ But Wanda couldn't even think about tomorrow because of how tired she was. This was the first time she used her powers in a month so she was a little drained. The main cause of Wanda's exhaustion was the three hours of sleep she was running on. The thought of taking a hot shower and climbing into bed only made her put the targets away faster. _Maybe I'll actually sleep through the night._

*It's not really a spoiler, more like foreshadowing since this takes place before Civil War, but even then it's not completely accurate. And I'm sorry but the opportunity presented itself and I took it!

I hope everyone likes the direction of the story. Along with Wanda's relationship with the team I also want to tackle the sheer magnitude of her powers and how that affects her and her relationships. She needs to have emotional limits because otherwise she'd just be too powerful. Also, I'm not abandoning Wanda's grief because of one conversation she had with Natasha. It will definitely come up later. I don't have a set story for Wanda through all of this, but I'm starting to get an idea and I hope you all like where I take it. Thanks again for reading my story. I hope I'm keeping everyone interested! In the next chapter things don't go well for anyone when an incident ends with some of the team in the hospital. (It's definitely an oh shit kind of chapter.)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 _Wanda wandered around the hallway of an old apartment, tracing her fingers around the light green paint as she walked. She was desperately looking for something, but she didn't know what it was or why it was so important. Wanda came up to a door, which was ajar. She could see a light was on and heard laughter coming from inside. Since it was already open, she put her hands against the door and pushed it open slightly more. She hesitantly stuck her head into the room. Instantly, the aroma of her favorite dish, chicken paprikash, overcame her. She walked inside to see that she was in a living room, her living room. She looked around at her old furniture and settled on a picture of the twins and their parents on an end table. They looked about eight and were cuddled up in their parent's arms laughing._

" _Wanda, come and eat your dinner before it gets cold." Startled, Wanda whipped around to see her mother gesturing her towards the kitchen. She didn't seem to notice Wanda's surprised face and walked away without saying another word. Wanda followed her, not knowing what else to do, and entered to see her mother, father, and brother all sitting at the table. Everything looked cramped; the plates and cups took up most of the table surface and the table itself took up half of the kitchen. She knew that they lived in a small apartment, but now everything appeared even smaller than she remembered. She sat down and looked at her family. Pietro sat across from her, busy eating his dinner. His hair had platinum blonde highlights and he wore the light blue track shirt the avengers had supplied him with. She then turned to her left to look at her father. He took spoonfuls of his paprikash as he read the paper, like he always did at dinner. He only glanced up for a moment, but their eyes met and Wanda saw the piercing blue eyes that looked just like her brothers. Her father smiled briefly and went back to his paper. Wanda always loved her father's smile because he smiled with his eyes. She then turned to the right to see her mother. Her head was pointed down, giving the meal her full attention and taking small, graceful spoonfuls. She looked younger than Wanda remembered_ _._

 _Wanda took a deep breath. She was finally home with her family. Every terrified thought and uncertainty she had melted away. She didn't see the pain in Pietro's face that always lingered just behind his eyes or the small worry lines on her father's forehead. Everyone looked so peaceful that Wanda didn't know what to do. She had the urge to smile and cry at the same time. She no longer had the weight of all her losses burdening her because she was with her family. She felt warm and weightless, entranced by a peaceful nirvana. She could stay here forever._

 _She looked up at her mother again, wanting to look at her more closely. Wanda wanted to see her eyes. She knew that they were the same as hers but she wanted to see them as she only vaguely remembered them. "Mama," she began, placing her hand on her mother's wrist. But when her mother looked up she didn't see the blue green eyes that she shared with her mother staring back at her. Instead her eyes were black and she looked sickly pale. He mouth hung open and blood started to ooze out. Wanda yelled and stood up, putting her hand over her mouth. "Mama!" she screamed over and over again, but with each passing second her features got worse. Her jaw bent at an odd angle and blood came out of her nose and ears. Wanda's stomach dropped and she became nauseous. This couldn't be happening. She looked to her father about to tell him to do something when she froze. His eyes were also black and he had a big gash that sprawled across his chest with another smaller one on his forehead to match. The blood seeped through his white button down shirt, but he didn't clench it in pain. In fact, her father kept looking at his paper, not even looking up as Wanda screamed. She looked between her mother and father, pleading with them, but they didn't pay attention to her. She finally grabbed her father's face to make him look at her. As soon as she did an icy pang burned through her chest. His cold indifference to her was heartbreaking. He didn't look like he cared that she was crying and begging for him to do something._

 _She finally looked straightforward to Pietro. He had to do something; he always knew what to do. He moved his head up to face her, but he wasn't really looking at his sister. His eyes were foggy and unfocused. This could not be happening. She wanted to go back to the warm aroma of food and her family laughing at the table. She didn't want this. She didn't want this to happen, again. Her brother's blue eyes became engulfed in black and his face turned harsh. Circles of blood began to form on his torso and arms like he had just been shot. They kept getting bigger, soaking his shirt till there was more red than blue. All the while Pietro just stared at her with dark eyes and his head cocked to the side. She looked and saw her parents were staring at her with the same hateful expression._

 _Wanda couldn't move or run away because should couldn't feel her feet. She was left immobile by a growing sense of dread that her family hated her. Even with the constant waves on tears she could feel coming from her eyes her vision did not blur. She saw every bone bent out of place and every drop of blood that fell from her family, but most of all she saw the pure fury and loathing in their faces. "Mama, Papa, please. Pietro…" her hoarse voice croaked out. She had a lump in her throat and her head pounded as she shook violently. She felt so small under the scrutinizing looks of disgust that came at her from all directions. She continued to plead, crying out for her parents and brother, begging them to stop, but all attempts were jumbled up into incoherent crying. She wanted her mother to hold her and her father to kiss her forehead and tell her everything would be all right like they used to. "Why is this happening!" she managed to utter._

" _This is what happens." Pietro answered in a twisted voice._

 _Suddenly, everything went black and her family was gone. Wanda felt scared and confused, but mostly angry. Her heartbeat picked up even more than it already was and violent flashes of red swept across her eyes. Her head pounded and she felt hot. She also felt like she was getting attacked. She sensed blood run down her arms, although she couldn't see. This was even more terrifying than seeing her family because now all she felt was an uncontrollable rage._

" _Wanda! Wanda, please!"_

Before she could even think of who was speaking the darkness around her changed. It was still dark, but less so than before. She was in her bedroom, but she wasn't completely standing on her own. Someone was holding her back and up and when she tried to turn and see who it was the arms around her torso stiffened. Someone else was yelling, but everything sounded muffled. All she could hear was her own ragged breathing, which seemed to overload her senses so she could focus on nothing else. As her eyes slowly focused she saw her room was a wreck, like someone had gotten into a fight. She remembered feeling like she was attacked. _Did someone try to hurt me?_ Her eyes settled on two bodies on her floor. One had red hair, but she couldn't tell who the other person was, at least not right away. The hall light shone on Natasha, illuminating her body. She was lying on her floor, bleeding, with her arm bent at an unnatural angle. She also saw who the other person was when he was picked up and brought out of the room. It was Sam, but it was too dark to tell exactly what was wrong with him. Even after she realized who got hurt it didn't register, at least not right away. People were yelling, but she still couldn't hear right or focus. Suddenly the person holding her back brought her into a different room. When she was let go she turned around and saw Vision. _He looks scared, terrified…of me._ Her mouth opened and a cold wave of shock swept over her body. _He's scared because I'm the one that did it. I hurt Natasha and Sam._

It was the middle of the night, but Sam was fully awake. He was walking around the halls on the phone with a war vet named Connor. Ever since he joined the avengers Sam had less time to work with the vets in DC, but he still tried to help out when he could. Plus, he had known Connor for a long time; he just needed someone to listen to him. "Hey, man, it happens…I know it's difficult. You think it's out of your head then it hits you. Just tell me what happened."

The two spoke for a while and Sam was just about to say goodbye when he heard a door open. He figured he woke someone up, even though he tried to be as quiet as possible, but pacing the halls at night was peaceful and helped him think. He wasn't really paying attention to which hallway he was in, so he didn't even know who he disturbed. Then he saw Natasha round the corner of the hallway and come into view. "…Yeah Connor, call me anytime. Alight, now try to get some sleep…you too," he finished the call and turned to Natasha. "Hey, I'm sorry about that, if I woke you up or anything."

"It's fine. I just came out because I thought there might be another world ending crisis or something." She didn't seem mad, which Sam thought was good, but he knew he interrupted a deep sleep because her voice sounded scratchy and uneven. Before either of them could say another word they heard someone yelp. "What was that?" Sam asked alarmed.

"I don't know. I think it's coming from Wanda's room." They both half jogged to Wanda's door and Natasha put her hand on the doorknob before turning to Sam and nodding. He nodded back giving silent confirmation that he was ready and she opened the door. Sam didn't know what he expected, but the cries from her room sounded like she was upset or even getting hurt. However, they were both a little surprised to Wanda asleep in her bed thrashing around as she let out small cries. She was obviously having a nightmare and a terrible one by the look of it. Her breathing was raged, she was sweating and Sam could see tears falling from her closed eyes.

Natasha bent down next to Wanda and cupped her hand over the girl's forehead. Sam hung back, figuring she would be embarrassed to wake up and see the two of them in her room. He heard Natasha whisper something in an effort to comfort Wanda, but her attempts fell flat as Wanda's mumbling and crying out became louder. Finally, Natasha grabbed her shoulders and shook her, trying to get Wanda to wake up, but that's where everything went wrong. Her eyes snapped open and immediately became engrossed by a red light. The same thing happened with her hands as she used her powers to shoot herself up so she stood on the bed. "Wanda!" Natasha yelled, but Wanda didn't hear her. She grabbed Natasha by the neck and used an energy blast to spring herself, with Natasha in hand, up against the wall. Natasha's head hit the wall with a thump that stunned her. Before she could get her bearings Wanda sent her flying back towards the bed with a wave of her arm.

Sam jumped behind Wanda, twisting her arm behind her back. He brought her to her knees and turned around to look at her. She was barely recognizable. Her face was contorted and the red light in her eyes created harsh shadows on the rest of her face. She looked nothing like the cautious, but excited girl she had been at training earlier today. Her grimaced face distracted him long enough for her to launch him to the wall and fall to the ground. His vision was began to get fuzzy, but he saw Natasha run up and kick Wanda. She fell to the ground and Natasha pinned her down. She let out a piercing scream and managed to get her hand free. She let out a small, red flow of energy that went up to Natasha's head. Immediately, Natasha got off of Wanda, sitting next to her in a daze. It looked like the mind manipulation Steve had told him about after they first fought the twins. Wanda looked to Sam, and then back at Natasha before she flung Natasha right into Sam.

He swore he saw stars. It wasn't a question, he wouldn't be able to get up because of how much pain he was in. _Oh God. I'm going to die._ He could see the red glow of Wanda's eyes and hands approaching him when someone came through the wall behind her and grabbed her. It had to be Vision. He flew her up in the air, holding her back as she screamed and clawed at his arms around her chest trying to get free. She looked like a wild animal, scratching herself in an attempt to get free. "Wanda, Wanda please!" he heard Vision yell. Finally, the yelling stopped, the red glow went away, and the twisted features on Wanda's face seemed to melt away. She returned to her old self, looking even more scared and confused than he was, but he didn't have any more time to wonder what the hell had just happened. Giant waves of numbness came over him and he knew he was about to pass out. The last things he saw was the door open and people come in before he traded the throbbing in his body for the silent bliss of unconsciousness.

Of course, just as things start to go well for Wanda this happens. My angle for this chapter was that she felt threatened and intense emotions during her dream, so when she woke up she went into the violent trance-like state she mentioned in the previous chapter. She didn't know what she was doing, but this is a real problem for everyone. She is almost like the Hulk where she doesn't have complete control because it's so powerful and based on emotions. I decided to make Wanda's powers the central conflict that gets in the way of her "happy ending" because her powers are so vast and extreme. Like I said I don't have anything mapped out indefinitely for this story, so it could change, but this is where the story seems to be heading. Hope you guys like it! In the next chapter we will deal with the fallout of Wanda's incident.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Wanda sat in the corner of the otherwise unoccupied office. Her knees were up to her chest and her hair flowed messily over her face as if to shield herself from what she had just done. Her hands shook so she tightened her fists till her knuckles were white. She couldn't think straight, all of her thoughts were on Sam and Natasha's bodies laying in her bedroom floor, bleeding. _I did that._

She hadn't said one word since Vision brought her to this room, even when her android friend repeatedly asked her what happened and what she remembered. When he realized she made no plans to speak he said he would check on their friends and give her an update later.

When it seemed like several hours had past the door opened and Steve entered. He emerged withered and tense, looking at Wanda with heavy eyes. She knew she ruined everything. Any friendships or progress she made on the team would be gone because of this.

"You're afraid of me. I can feel it," she breathed.

"I can tell that you're scared too, and I don't need any powers to see that." 

"You're worried about me? After…what I did." She shuddered.

"I am- I just…I need to understand what happened," he said weakly. Steve had probably been by Sam and Natasha's side all night. Out of everyone on the team they were the two people Steve was closest to. Figuring out what happened was the only thing Steve could do right now, but Wanda couldn't help him.

She stood up. "I can't help. I d-don't even know what happened. How are they? Vision said he'd find out, but I haven't seen him."

"He's taking care of something right now. Sam has a concussion, a few broken ribs, and a lot of bruises, but he will be fine. He's awake now. Natasha she-she has a broken arm, some cuts that needed stitches," Steve a deep breath before continuing, "and a cerebral edema. It's swelling in the brain. The doctors are waiting to see if it will go down on it's own, but if not..."

Wanda gasped, as her eyes grew wide. "Oh my God."

"Wanda, you can help by telling me what happened. The more we know the better."

"I don't remember doing… _that_. I don't know."

"Wanda, just think. What were you doing before the attack?"

She thought of the word he used. _Attack. That's not what happened. I didn't-_ but Wanda couldn't think of anything to say to defend herself even in her own head. She thought back to the horrid dream she had and how upset she was at everything. "I was angry." Wanda concluded.

"What do you mean?"

"I had a nightmare and I was so furious at…well, I don't know exactly. I was angry and I saw a lot of red flashes, then I woke up." She purposely left out the part about her family and how they were the reason she was upset. It wouldn't help at all for him to know and Wanda wasn't ready to talk about it yet. Although, she knew she would have to eventually.

"Wanda, you weren't asleep, you're eyes were open. I saw them," he uttered. Wanda was terrified. She thought she was asleep, but now that she knew she was awake Wanda knew she had another incident. The blackout episode she experienced when they fought Ultron was only slightly similar to this. She didn't feel angry then, well she did, but nothing like she felt a few hours ago. The other times this happened Wanda had felt completely filled with dread and sadness, never anger to this level. For some reason she didn't want Steve to know this had happened before. However, her face betrayed her wishes and Steve could tell that she knew something. "Wanda, what is it? You know something."

"No, I don't. I told you I don't remember," she whispered. Her instincts told her that they wouldn't understand. How could they when she didn't even understand it herself? All she knew for sure was that she wasn't in control and when you're like Wanda not being in control is a very bad thing.

"You got to give me more than that," he begged, advancing closer to her.

"I told you-"

"Wanda, you're lying! You did this and now you're lying about it! Tell me what you did! Natasha and Sam are in the emergency room right now because of you," he yelled. Steve had lost all patience and Wanda was hiding something, but his words still cut at her like a knife. She froze, even her hands stopped shaking. The only movement was the tears that formed in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She tried to blink them away, but that only made them fall down her cheeks. Instantly Steve's harsh tone retreated as he sighed.

"You're right. This is my fault," she stated.

"You know I didn't mean it like that. It's been a long night."

"No, I did this. I hurt them. I didn't even know what I was doing. I was so angry…I would've killed them. Oh, my God…" She trailed off. Her head continued to pound and she couldn't stop herself from thinking about what Sam and Natasha's bodies looked like. She hurt people before, but not like this. She had never smashed the bones of people who were her friends. Her heart and mind began to race.

"If I can do that to…what kind of person…what else can I do without even realizing it." Wanda's thoughts were so scattered she couldn't even make a complete sentence. The fact that she wasn't in control scared her to her core. She didn't want this to happen.

Steve and Wanda stood silently for a moment, not knowing what to say, when Vision came through the door, literally. He walked over to Wanda and placed his hand on her upper arm. He looked at her as if trying to comfort her with his eyes. After all, what could anyone say? "You didn't mean it" would carry little weight. "I should go check on Nat and Sam. Maybe you two could talk," Steve pointed out before leaving. Vision walked over to one of the couches and gestured for Wanda to sit. She complied and sat next to Vision with her hands fidgeting in her lap.

"You said you would be right back. Where were you?" Wanda knew that Vision wanted to talk about what Wanda remembered, but this suddenly seemed more urgent.

"That is not important right now." Wanda didn't think Vision would leave her alone after what happened, so whatever he was doing probably _was_ important.

"Vision, please," she whispered.

"I was talking to Mr. Stark and James," he answered.

Wanda snorted, which surprised Vision. "Talking?" The way Vision said it made it seem as if they were talking about the weather or sports, but Wanda knew what their "talk" was really about.

Vision spoke slowly, trying to chose his words carefully. "We were discussing the implications of what happened."

"You mean you were arguing about what to do with the crazy witch who attacked her friends," she finished.

"Wanda, everyone knows the situation is more complicated than that," he said earnestly.

"What were they saying?" she asked, ignoring his attempt to make her feel better.

"Everyone was on edge. Things were said that don't need to be repeated."

"So, it's that bad," she choked.

"It is only because we do not know what happened. If you could explain things might be better. It might help to talk about it." Wanda knew she had to talk sooner or later, and she'd rather speak to Vision alone about it first. He might be able to help her make sense of everything.

So she explained her story, about the dream, her family, the anger, and the flashes of red that she assumed took place during the fight. He sat and listened intently, hanging on to every word she said. His face was soft, yet determined, as if he was trying to figure out a complicated puzzle. Wanda felt like she had been talking for forever when she finally told him about the part she was most afraid of.

"It's happened before," she admitted.

"What? When? Why didn't you say anything?"

She swallowed hard and licked her lips. It was easy to talk to Vision, he listened without judgment, however, and this might prove to be too much, even for him. _It's too late to turn back now._

"It was difficult when Pietro and I were experimented on. There were many tests and they were never pleasant. It was hard, even though we volunteered we felt like prisoners. It only happened a few times, but when they were pumping something new into my arm or I heard my brother screaming for hours on end I…I would kind of lose it. Then it happened when we fought Ultron, but that was such a difficult day that I didn't even realize I had one of these…episodes until recently. I thought it was because of Strucker and that it was behind me. Please, understand I didn't tell anyone because I thought it was over. I thought I was in control."

He put his hand to her back as she spoke and she leaned into him, needing the comfort he offered. She didn't look at him while she spoke. She knew she wouldn't be able to say everything she needed to with his electric blue eyes looking at her.

"Your actions have hurt people, but none more so than yourself."

"I think Natasha would disagree, or she would if she were awake and able to."

"Who does blaming yourself help? Does it help you feel better or make Natasha get well?"

"No, but-"

"Exactly, you were not responsible for your actions anymore than Bruce is when he changes into the Hulk." He turned to face Wanda and took her hands into his, looking down curiously. "Wanda, you're bleeding."

Wanda furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before looking down to see her forearms have cuts and scratches on them. The lines are red and raised and some are outlined with dripping blood. One cut on her right arm was particularly bad, sending two streaks of red down to her elbow. Her arms had been throbbing, but so was everything else. She was too stuck in her own head to realize her physical state, but once Vision mentioned it she became aware of the dull pain and exhaustion that throbbed all over her body.

"I didn't notice."

"We should go to the infirmary and get it looked at."

"No," she whimpered. She knew Natasha and Steve were in the infirmary and she doubted anyone wanted her near them. She also wasn't ready to see what she had done to her friends. "I'll be fine, really, but I can't go there. Not yet."

"I understand." Wanda's eyes began to flutter, the shock and adrenaline that kept her awake was wearing off. All the power she had exerted made her feel like lead and the emotional stress only made it worse. But she felt rude, wanting to sleep after such a horrific event that she caused didn't seem like the right thing to do. Thankfully, Vision took notice of her exhaustion and struggle against sleep.

"There won't be an update on Natasha's condition for another few hours. You could close your eyes for a while. You can lay on the couch and I will stay here to wake you when the time comes." Wanda nodded in agreement. Vision began to get up, but Wanda put her arm around his.

"Please…" she asked in a barely audible whisper. He then sat down and let her lean up against him as she shifted slightly and closed her eyes.

"Wanda, can I ask something of you?" She hummed in acknowledgement and agreement so he continued. "Please, don't blame yourself for this."

"I'll try. Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," he whispered.

She opened her eyes and took a breath. She had to know. "When you were talking with Tony and Rhodes, what did you say? About me I mean."

"I said that jumping to conclusions and making rash decisions is often the result of fearing the unknown, and that they should not fear you because they know who you are. That they know you are a good person who needs help, the right kind of help, which we will provide because that is what a family does."

"Thank you," she mumbled into his arm. She didn't feel so alone with Vision by her side. He didn't hate her for what she did and wanted to help her, even though she didn't feel like she deserved it. She decided one person accepting her was enough for now. She would have to face everyone later, but not now. Now all she wanted to do was sit beside Vision, where she felt safe, close her eyes, and pray for a dreamless sleep.

Sorry for the long gap between updates, I write when I can. Anyways, I hope everyone likes the dynamic between Vision and Wanda. They are in a friendship phase in Civil War and I wanted to show that here, with the possibility of romance later on. Down the line I am going to focus more on these "incidents" that Wanda has and how the team helps her through it. For the next chapter we will see the reactions of other members and how Natasha and Sam are doing when Wanda goes to see them.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

 _I hate this._ Sam sat in his hospital bed huffing like a child. The beeping of the machines and the hospital smell was putting him on edge. He ignored the stabbing pain in this side as he tried to get up. _I have to get out of here._

"Hey, Soldier, don't try to get up. You took a pretty bad beating." It was Steve coming in to check on Sam. It was just his luck that Steve came right as Sam was trying to make his escape.

He chuckled at Steve calling him "soldier" but that only caused another stabbing pain to drive up his side. "I'd stay here, but I'm not digging the whole hospital thing," he replied. However, as he said this he slid back into the bed, knowing Steve wouldn't let him leave. Steve looked worry as Sam winced in pain, but Sam gave him a reassuring look, which soften Steve's glance. _He doesn't need to worry about me._

"You know if I had my wings I would've…" He stopped not knowing how to word his sentence. If it were any other bad guy he would have said it would be the bad guy in the hospital bed, not him, but he couldn't really say that in this situation. "It would've ended differently," he finished.

"Yeah, I know. How are you feeling?"

"Great, I could go for a jog right about now, stretch by muscles a little bit." Sam smirked and Steve smiled back sadly, knowing Sam was just trying to lighten the mood. Things were bleak around the tower. He heard Vision fighting with Tony and Rhodes earlier and he knew that Natasha was still unconscious. He was glad that nobody was asking his opinion about Wanda. He didn't even know how he felt. The Wanda he knew and the person who attacked him seemed like different people. Although, one could argue that none of them have known Wanda for that long.

"You talk to Wanda yet?" Sam asked. He had so many questions about what she did and how, but that was the only thing he could think to say aloud.

"I tried, my heads not in the right place though. I left her to talk with Vision, maybe she'll open up to him."

"Man what happened, that was something…different. And we've seen some pretty weird shit."

"She doesn't remember any of it, if that helps at all." Steve was trying to comfort Sam, but he could tell that neither of them really knew what to say. They sat in an awkward silence for a moment and Sam was just about to thank him for checking up on him when there was a knock at the door. A nurse came in and he expected her to start fiddling around with the machines he was connected to, but she just stood at the door.

"What's wrong?" Steve asked, noting the discomfort in her face.

"You have a visitor. It's Ms. Maximoff," she responded hesitantly. Steve looked at Sam, wondering if he even wanted to see Wanda. He nodded in response and said it would be fine so the nurse left. There was a long silence as they both stared at the door and Sam began to wonder if Wanda had changed her mind when she slowly came into his room. Her eyes were big and puffy and she blinked constantly to keep her tears at bay. She kept her hands together behind her back in an effort to show that she wasn't a threat anymore. She looked rather pale as she breathed unevenly.

She looked from Steve to Sam, but didn't dare to make eye contact with either of them. Sam took note of the pit in his stomach. Even though she didn't look like the same girl the attacked him he still felt uneasy. He thought back to her face as he laid on the ground. She looked like she wanted to rip him in two. _I thought I was going to die._ Wanda took a step back, noticing the grimace look on his face as he thought back to last night.

"Sam-I…I don't know wha…I'm so sorry. I didn't know, it just…" Her voice got smaller as she spoke until she trailed off completely. She cleared her throat before saying "I don't know how this happened. I'm so sorry."

In truth, Sam didn't know how much he blamed her because he didn't know how much of it was her fault. He didn't know what to tell Wanda because he still hadn't decided if he was mad at her. She obviously looked torn up about what happened, but a piece of Sam couldn't get past what she did, whether or not she was aware of it. He looked up at Wanda and saw something unexpected. Alongside the fear and sadness he saw acceptance. _She thinks what she did is unforgivable. She thinks that I hate her, but I don't._

"I just need some time, okay? Just give me a little time. I'll get there, and we'll be cool, but not right now." Wanda let out a breath of relief and nodded. She looked up and met his eyes, finally gaining the courage to look at him. Sam couldn't forgive her just yet, but a part of him knew he wouldn't blame her forever.

"Thank you, Sam," she murmured. He nodded again and she turned and left as quietly as she came in. Steve turned his attention back to Sam.

"We need to find out how this happened," he started.

"Agreed," Sam replied. Steve slightly nodded, but more to himself than Sam. He was staring off into the distance.

"What is it?" Sam inquired.

"I think we need to talk to someone who knows more about Wanda's powers than we do." Sam thought for a moment, but couldn't come up with anybody who would have that knowledge. But by the look on Steve's face, he knew exactly who to ask.

"Strucker and his men are gone," he reminded Steve. "Unless, you know how to talk to ghosts."

"Strucker may be gone, but his research isn't."

"So, what? You're gonna hop on a jet to Sokovia and dig around his base for answers. The place is basically I ruins from the first time you guys were there. It could take days to find answers, if there is even any to find. We kind of need you here, Steve." Steve just smiled at Sam as if there was an inside joke Sam didn't know about.

"Actually, I was thinking about calling a friend." Steve confessed as he kept smirking.

Wanda was sure Sam would hate her. That just looking at her would disgust him. She was so thankful that she was wrong. Sam's answer, that they would be okay eventually, was the best she could've expected. Not that she expected it at all. She was so relieved that she _almost_ forgot about what she had to do next. Seeing Natasha would be even more difficult than talking to Sam. She couldn't picture Natasha laying in a bed unconscious. It didn't seem possible.

Vision had told her that Natasha's injuries were no longer life threatening, but she was still in pretty bad shape. He said it would take a while for her to recover and that she would need physically therapy. _First, she needs to wake up though. God, she's going to hate me._ Wanda dreaded losing a person that she'd only recently become close with. Whether she liked it or not, Wanda had to face the people she hurt. She owed them at least that much.

So, Wanda made her way to Natasha's room. The room was exactly the same as Sam's, with the only difference being the machines that she was hooked up to. The white bed with plastic railing and paper-thin sheets layered over Natasha looked exactly as it had with Sam. The walls were beige and the tiled floor was white. The only thing that stood out was Natasha fiery hair sprawled out over the white pillow.

Wanda timidly made her way over to Natasha's bed. The room was quiet expect for the occasional beep, but Wanda still felt the need to be silent, even though Natasha wouldn't wake up from the sound of Wanda's footsteps or breathing. The red head looked peaceful. Wanda figured that since Natasha was such a good spy that she was always looking over her shoulder, even in her sleep. But she couldn't do that while she was knocked out. _I don't imagine she'll be grateful for the peaceful sleep._

Wanda knew she wasn't dreaming because she could sense the nothingness that surrounded Natasha. Maybe Wanda could give her a good dream, something that would make her happy. She caused her so much pain, and this would in no way balance the scale, but she could try. Wanda couldn't heal injuries, but she could make the time it took for them to heal easier. She began absent-mindedly moving her fingers, creating a surge of red waves. Wanda didn't know what kind of dream to give Natasha because she didn't know her well enough to give her a specific happy memory. Wanda decided to give her the dream of a relaxing day on the beach when she heard someone come into the room.

"Whoa there, Little Witch, I think we've had enough voodoo for one day." It was Tony and his voice had a very distinct warning-like tone to it. He called her names like Little Witch a lot as a joke, but the way he said it now made her want to shudder. Tony and Wanda weren't exactly close, as it's hard to stop hating someone you blamed for your parents death's for about ten years, but they had reached common ground and become allies in the past few months. Everything was backwards now. Now, he was the one who had a problem with her.

She put her hand down and the red vanished. "I'm better now," she said meekly.

"For now." His answer was resolute, which made Wanda falter even more. His face gave off no emotion, while Wanda felt her eyes begin to burn. She hated that two words from Tony made her feel this way.

"Look," he continued, "I'm the only one here who will give it to you straight. What you did earlier that was…bad to say the least. You're the newest member of a team I'm not really apart of anymore, but I hope Steve takes my advice. There are a lot of unknown variables when it comes to what you can do. That may not be your fault but, hey, that's the world we live in." Tony sighed before speaking again. "I'm speeding up the preparations for the new avengers tower. It's more secluded there so there's less risk. In the meantime you should go stay at a hotel. I know a nice place on the edge of the city so…I'll set that up."

"You don't want me here because you think I'll hurt someone," she mused, making a point to look him directly in the eye.

Tony shrugged. "I don't know what to think. But I hope you understand why this is the best thing for everyone right now." Tony's points weren't outrageous, and she knew it was probably best to leave and allow things to settle. No matter how impartial Tony tried to sound his words still left a deep ache all around her body.

"Fine. I'll go," Wanda agreed.

"Maybe it'll give you time to think," Tony suggested. "A lot's happened since you met us." Wanda closed her eyes, knowing he mostly meant her losing Pietro. She wet her lips before opening her eyes again and took a deep breath. She didn't want to talk about her brother with Tony of all people.

"What was the advice?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"What?" His brow furrowed in confusion.

"The advice that you gave Steve about me. What was it?" Tony hadn't said anything too bad to Wanda yet, but she could tell from his pained expression that there was a lot more he wanted to say. Vision had heavily implied that Tony said awful things about Wanda right after the incident. _He probably wants to lock me up somewhere. Or worse._

"I suggested that he figures out all the variables." He paused, thinking about how to phrase his next sentence. "You have the potential to make things go very right, or horribly wrong. He needs to think long and hard about the risks you carry, about whether or not it's worth it."

Wanda didn't know how she managed to stand there silently and let him confirm all of her worst nightmares. There was a real chance that Steve and everyone else saw her as a threat, as someone who wasn't worth it. Wanda felt like an idiot. Although she would never admit it, the avengers were like a surrogate family. She didn't want them to reject her. She didn't want to be alone again.

Tony looked like he was about to leave when his eyes flickered to Natasha. _He is debating whether or not it's safe to leave me alone with her._ Her thoughts were confirmed when Tony gave her a warning look.

"She'll be fine on her own," he cautioned before leaving. The shock and pain of Tony's words slowly left and she became more frustrated than anything else.

 _He doesn't know me._ Wanda walked back over to where Natasha lay, still asleep. She conjured up the red flares and lightly sent them fluttering to her head. She twitched a little and Wanda knew it worked when she sensed the warmth Natasha gave off. _I hope this helps._

In truth, Wanda was worried about what would happen when she used her powers again. A voice in the back of her head told her she would just hurt someone else, but she couldn't listen to it. Steve, Natasha, and the rest of the team believed that she would amount to something. That she could help save lives. She was determined to keep them from changing their minds and prove that she was worth the effort.

She knew she had to find answers herself and show that she could overcome whatever caused these blackout incidents. She also knew where to start looking. _I'm going home._

Hey guys, I hope everyone liked the chapter. I've gotten a few reviews and it makes me so happy to know that people actually like what I'm writing. So for this chapter I tried to keep it away from her CW storyline as much as possible. The problem here is these incidents, not so much herself and her powers like in CW. I also hoped I portrayed Tony well here. He doesn't hate Wanda, but he basically says what everyone else is too afraid or doesn't want to say loud. That she can be dangerous and that she needs to figure out how to gain control again. In the next chapter Wanda will be looking for answers and run into a friend along the way!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Wanda was used to traveling all the time. The twins never stayed in one place for long, but traveling by herself made her feel off. It was like she forgot something important at home, like her wallet or passport. Wanda often found it difficult to express in words the connection she had with Pietro, and even more so now since he was gone, but all she knew was that it felt wrong to be by herself.

This feeling was probably what led her to trip on some older man's luggage in her distracted state. She was able to catch herself, but the man's black suitcase fell and she reached her hand out to stop it from falling. It was only when a small flicker of red light formed in her palms that she clenched her fist and let it fall. It was not the best idea to be using her powers right now, and in an airport of all places. She had to be discreet since nobody knew she was here. If a foreign girl was taken into custody by airport security for having red sparks fly out of her hands then it would definitely be on the news.

The older white man cocked his head and Wanda could see the confusion in his eyes behind his sunglasses. She awkwardly put her hand to her side and bent down to pick up the luggage muttering an apology. She noticed the name Stan on his luggage tag, but elected not to say anything like "sorry, Stan" because she already looked weird enough. After giving the mustached man his luggage back she scurried away feeling her face heat up in embarrassment.

She shook her head, mentally telling herself that she had to focus on her mission. If she was going to fix whatever was going on with her than she needed to do what Tony said and get all of the variables. Granted, he was talking about Steve getting them so he could make a decision about _her_ place on the team, but Wanda decided to ignore that part.

She needed to find out everything she could about her powers and hoped this trip to Sokovia wasn't a waste. If she couldn't find anything than what would she do? She couldn't go back to New York and face the team unless she had something substantial to help fix whatever was wrong with her.

As she pondered this a thought crept into Wanda's mind. What if there wasn't anything wrong with her? Maybe, Strucker planned for her to be this way. The twins were told time and time again that what happened to them was irreversible and there was a real possibility that this was just an extension of her powers. Wanda shuttered. _Even if I can't make this thing go away, there needs to be a way I can at least control it._

Wanda had a long flight ahead of her and she knew that she'd have a lot of time to over analyze and worry about her fate. So, she put some ear buds in, hoping to drown out her worries as she waited to board her flight.

LINE BREAK

Wanda walked around the streets of Sokovia's capital, Novi Grad. She was exhausted and jet lagged from her flight, but the nostalgia of being back led her to roam the city, or at least what was left of it. The entire western side had been destroyed because of Ultron and although they saved a lot of people, many had still died. She could feel it in the city, the somber air thick with loss. The people, her people, all walked around with a subtle sadness etched into their faces.

Wanda closed her eyes for a moment. She was reading everyone's emotions around her and she needed to stop. She was on a mission and this walk down memory lane wasn't helping. She needed to find somewhere to stay for the night so she could start fresh in the morning to start looking around Strucker's base. Wanda was able to find the location on one of Tony's computers and knew it would be a long journey since it was in the middle of the forest.

Wanda walked through the streets, making her way to Town Square, knowing she would find a shelter there. She had read an article online about shelters being put up around Novi Grad for those whose homes were destroyed. She briefly thought about squatting in one of the many places her and Pietro stayed, but thought better of it.

The Town Square was busy even though it was past midnight. Tents were spread randomly throughout the space and crowds of people were squished against each other. Signs in several languages, including English, Russian, and Sokovian, advertised food and clothing. The square was always the most crowded part of the city, but it was never like this. _This is the new normal, I guess._

Wanda couldn't help but think of how much easier it would've been for her to pick pocket in such a crowded place. A ghost of a smile crept across her face as she thought back to the time when her and Pietro would scheme and thieve through this very square. She continued to walk through, looking at the jewelry and clothes. The crowed finally started to thin and she was only a few blocks from the shelter when she felt a shift in her backpack.

She turned, whipped around, and grabbed the wrist of the person who just had their hand in her bag. The boy tried to run as soon as she grabbed him, but she held her grip. The boy was obviously a Sokovian native, maybe ten years old, with brown hair swept across his forehead and deep blue eyes. Currently those deep blue eyes were so wide Wanda thought they might pop out of his head. He stammered a bit, but his mouth just hung open.

Wanda sighed at the little gypsy boy, internally amused at the bewilderment in his eyes. He was terrified.

"Good thinking, going for a girl who is alone. Usually it is the less people the better," she mused. "However," she continued, "going for a zipper is always tricky because of the noise and you didn't even cause a distraction first." Wanda didn't think the young boy's eyes could get any wider, but they did. Now, his face was a cross between terrified, confused, and impressed. Wanda's years of pickpocketing made her somewhat of an expert, but giving advice to the kid that just tried to pickpocket _her_ was unexpected to say the least. She would've been slightly upset if the whole thing wasn't so ironic.

"What's your name?" She asked, not evening knowing if he would answer her. But then again, he couldn't really go anywhere.

"Filip," he lied. Even without her powers she could tell he was lying, but it didn't really matter.

"Okay, then Filip," she stressed his name to show she knew it was a lie, "I would also suggest making your targets a generation older. They usually aren't as aware as younger people are."

She let go of his wrist with a smile and a light laugh at his skittish behavior. _He didn't see that coming._ The boy let out a nervous laugh before hesitantly walking away, not knowing if Wanda had anymore advice or punishment in store for him. Eventually, he was out of sight, lost among the crowd. Wanda continued smiling to herself as she walked. Maybe it was because the boy reminded her of a young Pietro, but she was in a much better mood.

LINE BREAK

Wanda went to three shelters before finding one she could actually stay in. This was one of the few she found that didn't ask too many questions. The one she originally planned to go to by the square wanted to know her previous address, have verification, and ask all kinds of questions she couldn't answer. The shelter the twins sometimes stayed at years ago no longer existed, so she had to go from shelter to shelter hoping they would let her stay without going through the questioning process.

She came to the building that the last shelter suggested she try, cleverly named Homeless Solutions. It was a long two-story building with sea green chipping paint. Wanda took a breath, silently praying that this would be the place, and walked through the beat up metal doors.

"Hi, I was just at the shelter on Visoka Street and they said that there is no questioning process here." It was almost sunrise and Wanda had been walking all night so she wasn't in the mood for pleasantries, or subtly. It had also occurred to Wanda that falling asleep in a populated area might not be the best thing considering what happened last time, so Wanda was desperate to find somewhere to just sit and relax.

"Oh, um yes. We feel that some people prefer to keep their personal information to themselves." The woman sitting at the desk was obviously surprised by Wanda and her harsh forwardness. Wanda relaxed a little as the woman stood up and led her through a door.

"My name is Natalia, by the way. You can grab a pillow from the shelf here and I'll get you a blanket and a fitted sheet." Wanda grabbed a small pillow from the shelf and Natalia stopped and went into a locked closet to get the rest of the stuff.

Natalia was an older woman, maybe in her sixties, with the thickest blonde hair Wanda had ever seen. The blonde was outlined with brown highlights and thick tight curls held her hair together. She wore a red headband to keep her hair back so Wanda could see the grey hairs at her roots.

When she returned from the closet she looked back at Wanda to signal that she was ready to go. Wanda noticed the smile on her face and could tell that Natalia was one of those good-natured people. She looked old and tired, but she had deep laugh lines and bright eyes. She seemed like a good enough person and felt bad for acting cross when she first met her. As they continued down the hallway Natalia told Wanda about how things worked around the shelter.

"We serve two meals a day. Lunch is at noon and dinner is at six. The food is as you would expect, but don't tell my husband I said that," she said with a chuckle. Wanda gave a slight smile. Wanda figured he was some kind of cook, which Natalia confirmed.

"I'll introduce you. We're about to pass the kitchen anyways. You won't be able to miss him he's a loud fat old man with a balding head, but hey, he's the love of my life," she jokingly said with a shrug.

"That's sweet," Wanda replied. She really did think it was nice, to have someone to throw some loving banter at.

Natalia turned around, put a hand on Wanda's shoulder and leaned in. "We are very romantic people." They both laughed before going into the kitchen area.

"Tamás!" She screeched. The knowing looks from the others in the completely silver kitchen told Wanda that this was a normal occurrence.

"What?!" a voice bellowed back. Wanda looked down to see that Tamás was halfway into a large cabinet so that she only saw him from the waist down.

"Get your ass out of the air and come meet-" Natalia paused. "Look at me I forgot to ask you your name! I'm sorry about that. I must be getting old," she said putting her hand up to cup her forehead.

"It's Wanda." Wanda had thought about lying, like her friend "Filip," but she felt the need to be honest.

"You're already old, darling," Tamás said with a huff. He was out of the cabinet and placed the big pot he was searching for on the counter before coming over to the girls. He was exactly as Natalia described him. He was tall and heavy, with a balding head on top, but with longer salt and pepper colored hair down the sides. He kissed his wife before shaking Wanda's hand.

"Any idea of how long we will have the pleasure of your company?" he asked.

Natalia interjected with, "oh you see, some only stay for a little while so they can get their bearings and figure out a more permanent solution, sometimes moving in with friends or family, while for others it's more of a long term stay."

"I'm just getting my bearings. I should be out of here in a few days," she was able to answer without lying. Wanda didn't want to lie to these people. The two of them said goodbye to Tamás and made their way back into the hallway.

"Why's everyone here so early? It's not even sunrise yet," Wanda asked, genuinely curious.

"We have night shifts and day shifts so the people you just saw was the end of the night crew. Well, besides my husband. We're both early risers so we are just getting started for the day."

"And you and your husband, you run this shelter?"

"Yup, for quite some time too. It's not always easy though, especially with everything that's happened," she breathed.

"I can imagine," Wanda stated more to herself than Natalia. She felt a pit grow in her stomach for a moment. However, Wanda told herself that what happened here wasn't her fault and the pit slowly went away. _At least there is something in my life I can control._ Once they reached the door at the end of the hallway the two stepped into a giant room with rows of cots.

"You can pick anyone you like and it's yours. The women's bathroom is on the left and men's is on the right. Then over there we have the eating area and behind that door we have a common room. There's not much in it though, just some books and an old TV. Well, that's about it for the tour of the place! Oh wait, there is one more thing…" Natalia's face became more serious as she tilted her head down and her voice become deeper and lower. "…Because of our no questions policy we tend to attract a certain crowd. I'm not saying all the people are like that, but every once in a while we get someone that causes trouble. And seeing as how you're a woman here on her own I just wanted to warn you, but please don't be frightened, these things are very rare."

She gave Wanda a reassuring pat on the back, not that she needed it. Wanda could handle herself against a drunk or some guy who got any ideas of touching her.

"Thank you, but I think I'll be just fine."

Wanda decided that if she laid down, then she would just fall asleep, so she decided to sit in the common room instead. The room itself was small, beige, and basic, but there wasn't anyone in there so she could sit in silence and just relax.

The next thing Wanda knew she woke up to the sound of people yelling. She first froze in fear, thinking she had done something during the nap she didn't mean to take, but this sounded more like an argument. Wanda got up from the heavily used beige couch and poked her head out of the door. The twenty or so people that were there were all looking on as a man and a woman argued.

"I'M TELLING YOU THE LITTLE SHIT TOOK IT! I HAD FIFTY EUROS IN MY BAG AND NOW IT'S GONE!" the man bellowed. He was wearing a long brown jacket, a black beanie over his shaved head, and jeans that looked a little too big. The women he yelled at wore a deep blue winter jacket with black pants. Whoever "the little shit" he was referring to was clung to his or her mother's left side out of Wanda's view.

"My son didn't do anything! You said yourself you didn't see him take it," she gritted through her teeth. She wasn't yelling like the guy was, probably in an attempt to keep the situation from getting out of hand.

"BUT I SAW HIM SNOOPING THROUGH MY STUFF YESTERDAY. I KNOW IT WAS HIM!" he spat back. Wanda didn't see Natalia or her husband in sight and without thinking she began to move towards the arguing pair. _What am I doing?_

She reached the two just as the man stepped closer to the woman. Wanda didn't know if he planned on hitting her, or if it was just an effort to intimidate her, but seeing his boiling face seething with anger made her step between them.

"You need to back off. Now." Wanda sounded calm and collected, which she guessed she was because she knew this man couldn't hurt her. He let out a snort before stepping even closer to Wanda. He face was only a few inches from her.

"Now, what the fuck are you gonna do?" That was a good question. There was a lot Wanda _could_ do, but as for what she could do without giving herself away was something different. She leaned forward to eliminate the distance between their bodies and put her hand up in between so that the man's coat concealed her hand. He was too busy looking at her eyes to even notice.

She conjured up her red magic and willed the man to leave. "I'm going to ask you nicely. Please, leave and never come back." This was more for affect, she didn't need to say anything out loud to make people do what she wanted, but right now she had an audience.

The man's eyes turned red and his face expressionless. He then turned and silently left, surprising everyone, but Wanda of course. She turned around to meet the gaze of the woman.

"I can't believe he just listened to you…thank you! Thank you so much. I didn't know what he was about to do," she thanked, her face a combination of awe and gratitude.

"Marcin, thank this nice lady." Wanda looked down at the boy only to see her friend "Filip" once more. She was shocked, but hid it well, unlike the boy in front of her. He probably thought he'd never see her again just as Wanda had thought.

"I, uh, th-thank you," he stammered.

"You're welcome, Marcin," she smiled, again stressing his name, his real name. In this moment Wanda felt proud of herself. She was able to help someone all on her own, even though she wasn't sure if Marcin had actually stolen the money. She wanted to believe that he didn't, mostly because stealing from someone you live with is just a bad idea in general, but Wanda had a feeling that her hope was in vain. _He really needs to work on his thieving skills._

Later on, Wanda was back in the common room resting when she heard someone enter. The light footsteps told her it was Marcin, as he was the only child there.

"Hi, Marcin," she greeted.

"Hi." He looked nervous and he wouldn't meet her eyes. Wanda figured he was just embarrassed about the scene he caused earlier, but she was wrong.

"I saw what you did to that man."

LINE BREAK

Sorry I haven't been writing. I had so much stuff to do and I'm actually going on vacation for three weeks so I wanted to get this chapter out before I leave. I thought it would be cool to have a chapter of Wanda going back to Sokovia to see how the country in doing since AU. I think friendships with everyone she meets in this chapter were cute and nice to read since Wanda gets to talk to people who don't know everything about her. As always I hope you guys liked the story and thanks for all the reviews! In the next chapter, Wanda will deal with what Marcin knows and make her way over to Strucker's old base.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"What do you mean?" Wanda said, trying to feign confusion. _Shit. Shit. Shit. Great job, Wanda. You had to get involved. How am I going to keep a little kid quiet? I mean people might not believe him if he goes around yelling about a woman bending a man's will, but it will still draw attention._

"You made that man leave, even though he didn't want to." Marcin's voice was small and he kept flickering his eyes every which way, not that there was much to look at in the bleak room.

"Yes, that's called persuasion," Wanda said, trying to make Marcin feel stupid so he would drop the subject, but he didn't.

"No, you did it by, well I don't know how, but you did it because you're her!" he stammered, growing more confident. _Yeah, I'm screwed._

"I'm sorry, I don't know who you're talking about," Wanda argued. She knew this was a losing fight. Marcin recognized her from the battle with Ultron.

"You were on the news! I saw you! You had the red stuff around you then too. And I just saw it coming out of your hands so don't try to deny it." _And here I thought I did such a good job concealing that…_

"Okay, okay. I am…her," Wanda confessed. Marcin stood in shocked for a moment before opening his mouth to speak, but Wanda cut him off.

"But you can't tell anyone, okay! Not even your mom."

"But-"

"Marcin, I'm serious. You tell nobody," she interrupted. "You saw what I could do. I don't want to have to do anything to you." Wanda didn't know if she'd have it in her to make good on her own threat, but Marcin seemed to relent.

"Fine, I won't tell anyone," he whined. "But can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," she said hesitantly.

"If you can make people do whatever you want then why are you staying here? Can't you just make someone give you money or let you stay in their house?"

"I could, but that's not how I like to do things."

"Well, if I was you then I'd have so much money I could pay people to build me a giant mansion and I'd have big garages for all of my cars," he said in a matter-of-factly kind of tone. Marcin didn't relish in his daydream for long because his face fell and Wanda couldn't tell if he was sad or angry. "I'd also make it so nobody could bother me or my mother. I'd make it so she wouldn't have to…so things would be different." Wanda thought she saw a gleam of tears in his eye, but he quickly blinked it away.

It wasn't lost on Wanda that Marcin and his mother were probably at one of the more sketchy shelters for a reason. His mom was obviously involved in something Marcin didn't like. It seemed that wherever Wanda looked she received a constant reminder of how bad things have gotten in Sokovia. Marcin didn't appear to blame Wanda for any of it, like many other citizens did, or she probably would've been confronted by an angry mob before she even knew her cover was blown.

"So, what kind of car would you get? If you could get any kind what would be your top choice?" Wanda wanted to bring the conversation to a lighter tone and it worked. The anger in his face dissipated and he slightly pursed his lips in thought.

Marcin proceeded to name a few cars that Wanda heard of, but she didn't really know what they looked like. "I said to pick one. You named like six," Wanda laughed.

"I can't pick only one. If I had your powers I wouldn't need to choose. I'd buy all of them." Wanda sighed. This wasn't what she wanted her little friend to get from this conversation.

"How would you get the money for the cars?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe I'll go to a bank."

"And take other people's money?" she retorted. She had stumped him, but only momentarily.

"Okay, then I'll take it from bad people. And I'll only take enough to buy my mom a house…and maybe one car. But I'd give the rest to the people who need it." Wanda could live with that answer.

"That sounds better. You'll be a Sokovian Robin Hood," she chuckled.

"I'll have a cool name though, like…like…well I don't know yet, but it'll be awesome!" Marcin insisted.

Wanda couldn't help but smile at the boy. She was never around children much with the lifestyle she led, so being around someone with such big dreams was refreshing, even if she had to set Marcin a little straighter with those dreams. Wanda looked at her watch and saw that it was well into midday. If she waited any longer it would be too late to leave for Strucker's base. She wanted enough time to look around, but she wasn't willing to spend the night in an abandoned building in the middle of the forest.

She sat on the edge of the couch, ready to get up, but faltered when she saw the look on Marcin's face. He was disappointed that she was leaving. _There aren't any other kids staying here. He probably doesn't have anyone else to talk to or any opportunity to be a kid._ Wanda sat back into the stiff couch. _I'll leave first thing tomorrow morning. That way I'll have even more time to look around._

"So, why don't we brainstorm some superhero names for you? You're going to need one for when your out there saving lives," she said. Marcin's blue eyes lit up and he let out a little gasp. Wanda patted the seat next to her, gesturing him to sit down. He almost tripped over her feet because he ran by so fast, plopping his little body down next hers.

LINE BREAK

Steve was worried. Wanda hadn't answered any of his calls in the past few days. When Wanda left to stay at a nearby hotel she left the team a note in the kitchen, saying she took Tony's advice and decided to stay away for the time being. She also said not to call because she needed time, but this was getting ridiculous. _What if there was an emergency and we really needed her here?_

Along with his frustration, Steve also felt guilty. He knew he handled things with Wanda poorly. Sam was already out of the infirmary and Nat was awake and well, heavily insisting she was fine and ready to leave. They were both going to be fine and Steve wanted to call Wanda to let her know, and to apologize, but she wasn't giving him a chance.

Steve had asked Tony to locate her phone, and sure enough it was always in a room at a nearby Sheraton hotel.

"How about we go to the hotel and see how she's doing?" Steve tilted his head and raised his eyebrows.

"Natasha, if I went to see Wanda you'd be the last person I'd let come." She was sitting in her hospital bed with a scowl on her face and her arms crossed.

"But I'm the best person to go! I can tell her that I don't blame her and make her come back. Tony should never have sent her away. You know, it's easier to keep an eye on someone's powers when the person with said powers is actually in the building," she huffed.

"You're right. Tony shouldn't have done that and I shouldn't have let it happen, but everyone was more focused on you and Sam at the time. There was a lot going on." The past few days were hell because all Steve could do was wait helplessly.

"So, now that things have calmed down we can focus on helping Wanda. And we can start that by going to see her so let's go." Natasha tossed the sheets off of her and began to move out of bed. Steve sprang up from his seat and moved in front of his friend's way.

"I know you're restless, Nat, and I know you hate having people tell you what to do-"

"So don't."

"-but you need to rest. You had a serious head injury. Come on now." Steve guided her back under the sheets, a task she evidently want help with because she swatted his hand away.

"Now, while I'm gone, don't do anything stupid."

"You're stupid." Steve's face crinkled with exaggerated offense. Natasha's unhappy façade broke and she smiled and said goodbye. Steve waved and left the room.

Wanda's hotel room had a do not disturb sign on it and she didn't answer when Steve knocked. It took some convincing from the front desk, but Steve finally got the staff to open the door for him. He had to pull the Captain America card, which he didn't like to do often, but he was anxious to see if Wanda was okay.

When Steve entered her hotel room he realized it wasn't really her room at all because the only thing in there was her cellphone. The bed hadn't been slept in; there was no suitcase or any sign that anyone was staying there at all. House keeping informed him that the do not disturb sign had been hanging there since Wanda checked in so they hadn't cleaned at all.

 _This can't be good._

Steve made his way back to the Avenger's tower. The first person he saw when he entered was Natasha siting in the kitchen with Sam. The both had sly grins on their faces and a beer in their hands to match. Before Steve had time to say anything Sam spoke.

"Look, we both hate hospitals. I couldn't let her suffer there all alone."

"It's not even a hospital. It's an infirmary within the tower! Whatever, I need to see Tony," Steve said brushing off their little break out. He needed to figure out where Wanda went.

"Wait, what happened at the hotel? Did you talk to Wanda?" Natasha asked, putting her beer down.

"No, since that would require her to be at the hotel," Steve snapped.

"So she was out?" Sam questioned, trying to catch up.

"No, she's not staying there at all."

"But Tony tracked her phone to that hotel when she didn't let us know where she was staying," Natasha chimed in.

"Oh, you mean this phone," Steve held up Wanda's phone, "Yeah, that was the only thing in her room. I'm telling you she wasn't staying there. She only wanted us to think she was."

"We need to see Tony," Sam said, helping Natasha out of her seat. Steve didn't have time to argue, he needed to figure out what was going on.

Unfortunately for Steve, the team didn't get very far. They found Tony and he was able to use his computer and find out that Wanda booked a flight to get to Sokovia. Trouble emerged after this when the team was deciding what to do. Tony had the notion of leaving her there, which Sam tentatively supported.

"Maybe she went there for a break or to see how her home is doing and after everything that's happened. We can't blame her for wanting to go back," Sam argued.

"See, Sammy here gets it," Tony said shortly.

"Don't call me that," Sam retorted, rolling his eyes. Steve probably would've laughed if they weren't having a serious debate.

"Look the point is she left and didn't want to be found so I say we leave it at that."

"You guys can't be serious," Steve breathed, "What if something happens and we aren't there to help her? If she or anyone else gets hurt it'll be on our heads." Steve looked to Natasha for support, but she sat on the office chair not saying a word. It took Steve a second to figure out the look on her face was concern. She was concerned about Wanda, but she wasn't helping him convince Sam and Tony.

"You guys can sit on your asses all day, but I'm going to help someone I consider a friend." And with that Steve walked away, wondering how soon he'd be able to get to Sokovia.

LINE BREAK

Wanda took the bus as close to the city lines as she could get. It was all walking from there. She had about a two-hour hike in front of her, but her nerves were already buzzing. The young woman took a breath, fixing her backpack and grabbing the straps as she started walking. The pack contained a disposable camera, water, a few bars, and the high tech GPS she stole from Tony. She didn't need it till about an hour in when she had to hike off the path so she kept it off to conserve the battery.

Her headphones and music player would've been a distraction, so she left them behind, but she was now with nothing to occupy herself. So as she treaded through the woods she thought about various things, her brother, what the team must be doing, and Marcin. Wanda never got a chance to ask Marcin if he actually had stolen the man's fifty euros and made a mental note to ask him about it when she got back. She also tried thinking of super hero names that he would like since names like "Magnificent Marcin" sounded "too much like a magician."

Wanda smiled at the memory of him teasing her bad super hero naming abilities. He was a good kid. Nobody could blame him for the way he was acting out, especially not Wanda of all people. The destruction of the capital had made life even harder in Sokovia. Wanda wondered what would have happened if she and her brother didn't get out when they did. If they weren't off chasing the avengers or if they never got involved with Strucker at all then…

Would Pietro still be alive? Or would they both have died in Sokovia? They were always staying in different places so she couldn't say for sure if they would've been apart of the group of citizens that got lifted into the air. Maybe they both could have lived. _No, stop thinking like that. There are so many What Ifs I can think of where Pietro would still be alive, but what good would it do? He'll still be gone._

She didn't know if it was the cooling breeze or her own thoughts that made a chilling spine run down her back. Regardless, she turned her attention back to Marcin, thinking of names the boy would like. She remembered Marcin telling her that he was the fastest kid in his whole school, something that he was extremely proud of, so Wanda tried to incorporate speed into his name.

Eventually, Wanda came up with the name Wiccan Speed. Marcin really liked Wanda's codename Scarlet Witch, even though nobody ever referred to her by it, so she added the wiccan part because he said the witch part made her sound "mysterious." Also, the initials were the opposite of hers, which she thought was clever and hoped he would appreciate.

 _I don't know why I care so much. I mean I just met this kid and by the end of the week I'll never see him again. God, is this me trying to make up for what happened? Or am I just doing this because he reminds me of Pietro? Maybe it's both. I feel like every good thing I've done in the past month has been out of guilt or pity. Why can't I just do something nice for the sake of being a good person?_

Every time Wanda tried to shake these questions off they came creeping back into her mind. She concluded that this was probably survivor's guilt. She survived the bomb that hit her apartment building when her parents died and she survived the Battle of Sokovia when her brother didn't. At this point Wanda wished she had brought her headphones so she didn't have to think about this.

She hiked on, trying to think about what was physically in front of her and not in her messed up head. The path was thinning and she could see it loop around in the distance, which meant that it was time to take out the GPS and get off the trail. She got out the tech and turned it on. She had already placed the coordinates in so all she had to do was follow the red dot.

The hike was harder than anticipated. Walking off trail was definitely trickier and required her to look at the ground to avoid tripping over tree roots or twisting her ankle by stepping on a slippery rock. She had to rest several times when the incline of climbing became nearly impossible. It was so bad that she used her powers several times to propel herself up or catch herself when she fell.

 _I definitely need to be back before dark._ Wanda adjusted her snow hat and watched as the breath came out of her mouth in light puffs of smoke. There was still a thin layer of snow on the ground, which just made everything more slippery. It sucked that the GPS didn't give Wanda a route to the base. She wouldn't have minded if the hike was a little longer because she had to twist and turn to travel on solid, flat ground.

After almost three hours Wanda saw the out of place metal building. Reports she found on Tony's computer told her that they disabled any remaining traps and powered down the electrical system so she knew it was safe to enter. Those reports she read also didn't say anything about any obtained files.

When the twins were under Strucker's care the scientists and doctors were always writing things down on paper, never directly into a tablet or computer. Wanda hoped that Strucker was smart enough, and dumb enough, to hide those files, but never destroy them. It was the only real plan Wanda had.

So, Wanda walked up to her eerie former home. The place looked abandoned enough, but Wanda felt as if she was disturbing something, like she intruding in on a private conversation. It was weird being back to the base. She spent so much time on the inside that looking at it from the outside made the building seemed foreign. The enclosed fences around the back of the building was the only outside space Wanda and Pietro were allowed. Strucker said going out before they were done with their training was dangerous.

The nerves inside Wanda flared up again. It reached through to her toes and finger tips so she felt like she was on the edge of a cliff, about to fall off. She hadn't forgotten what happened here. How she was so blinded by revenge that she agreed to undergo the experiments. How much she regretted it when the experiments started. When the screams started. Then, after she was completely changed, they began to treat her like a human being again. The twins were allowed to roam free sometimes, especially towards the end, but they never ran. They stayed with the people who hurt them because they were unable to see anything but their end goal: Stark dead.

Of course, everything's different know. She doesn't hate Tony like she did and her brother's gone. Standing back at the base brought back more unpleasant memories than she thought it would. She tried not to think about the twisted psychological games they played here. How they played off her pain and how she hated them, but stayed there anyways.

 _Stop. That's in the past now._ Wanda told herself to think about the task at hand and began searching. She figured the files would be hidden and decided to start in Strucker's office. The doctors always reported to him at the end of each day, so he probably had any, if not all, of the paper copies detailing her enhanced status. She only went into Strucker's office once in the very beginning, but she always remembered where it was.

She walked up three stone and metal staircases, constantly looking behind her for no real reason. She reached the third floor and saw Strucker's main office at the end of the long narrow hall, with the door ajar. She slowly walked, looking into every room with an open door. Whoever the avengers had dig through the place left it a mess. Broken chairs, computers, and other unidentifiable things were sprawled across the floors.

She was just about to reach Strucker's office when she heard a door creak open. But before she could turn around an arm went around her neck, choking her. She sent a blast backwards, sending the attacker flying. He landed on the ground with a thud and Wanda turned around, already gathering more energy to throw if he wasn't already knocked out.

The assailant, donned in all black, groaned and sat up. Wanda's face fell and so did the red sparks. She blinked a few times while her brain tried to make sense of what she was seeing.

"Clint, what the hell are you doing here!?"

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Well, I'm back from vacation and so is Clint! I low key hinted at this a few chapters ago so if anyone caught on then congrats and if you didn't then surprise! Anyways, I tried to put a lot in one chapter to get the story going so I hope I had enough detail where it was still enjoyable. I'll have more on the rest of the avengers in the next chapter to touch more on why everyone feels the way they do about going after Wanda. And I hope everyone likes Marcin and the nickname I gave him. For those comic book fans out there the codenames for Wanda's sons are Wiccan and Speed so I just put that together. (If that's in anyway wrong I got this info off of the internet so I apologize if its wrong I just thought it would be cool to do.) I have more free time now so I promise it won't be such a big gap between chapters. In the next chapter Clint and Wanda reconnect, Vision has concerns about Wanda, and the team goes to Sokovia.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Nat had already come up with a lie to tell Steve. She would say that she didn't speak up for Wanda when the team was arguing because she wanted to seem impartial. If she voiced her desire to go to Sokovia then Steve would have made sure that she never left the tower. Nat would make it seem like she was being stubborn and calculating so when she showed up in Sokovia to help there wouldn't be a doubt as to how she felt. It was too bad that this isn't how it actually went down.

When the boys were debating Natasha wanted to voice her support to go after Wanda. She knew Wanda was a good person and friend who had infinite potential. Other than her personal feelings for the only other female member, Natasha saw how dangerous it was to leave Wanda alone with everything that was happening. She could hurt herself or others unintentionally. The people of Sokovia might even hurt her if they were scared enough.

All of the signs were pointing for Natasha to support Steve and say they should go after Wanda, but she couldn't get a word out. A heaviness in her chest and a pounding in her head kept her from speaking. It was stupid, to let residual and subconscious feelings cloud her judgment. Mrs. B would be disappointed in her.

Natasha was back in her own room, sitting on her baby blue bed. She had her hand in a fist resting up against her chin. She had to come up with a plan so she could slip out of the tower and get to Sokovia. She needed to fix this. Natasha had a lot of practice with putting her personal feeling aside to focus on a mission, so this wave of uncertainty she was feeling was unexpected to say the least. But then again, she was never brutally attacked by a friend who had no control over her body.

She wasn't hurt like this often, but on those rare occasions she was, Natasha always hand delivered the bullet that went between their eyes. Obviously, she didn't want to shoot Wanda, but she couldn't help the uneasy feeling she got whenever she thought about Wanda. _Get it out of your head. You need to focus and think logically._

Nat stood up quickly, determined to go to Sokovia, but leaned back on the bed when her head started to pound. Lately, getting up too fast made her get a head rush, something she kept forgetting. She began silently packing a few things, not really knowing how much she needed since she was unsure how long it would take to find her friend. She hoped Steve's flight hadn't left yet and that there wouldn't be any fighting in Sokovia because Nat was sure she'd be more of a liability than helpful in her condition.

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Sam knew Steve wasn't exactly happy with him, but Sam had to be honest. If Wanda wanted to leave then that was her right. She was still mourning her brother, so maybe she was taking some time to reconnect with her past and her people by going home. It wasn't up to the team to keep tabs on someone that obviously wanted to be left alone. Sam also had to admit, however, that a small part of him was glad for the time without her around. He still needed time to regroup and get over what happened. Steve should've respected that.

Still, Sam didn't want Steve going out there alone. Natasha couldn't be crazy enough to try and travel in her state, Tony made it clear he didn't want to go, and Rhodes was busy with his military responsibilities.

"Hey, Vision! Hey man, wait up." Vision had just gotten back from somewhere, opting to use the wall to enter the living space instead of the door. Vision was probably the most concerned about Wanda. When she first left Vision insisted on going to check on her, but Steve had convinced him to give her time.

"Hello, Sam," he replied smoothly. However, Sam detected a hint of sadness in his voice that had been there since Wanda left. The two of them were close, seeing as how they were both new to the team and spent a fair amount of time together.

"Where were you? Something kind of happened while you were gone."

"I was with Dr. Cho. She wanted to run some tests on my density manipulation abilities. She thinks these capabilities are attributed to the stone. Why? Is something wrong?"

Sam scratched the back of his neck. "We don't know if it's necessarily a bad thing yet, but Steve went to go see Wanda."

"Is she alright? I should have gone with Steve. Wait, what do you mean it's not necessarily a bad thing?" Vision immediately stepped closer to Sam, hounding him with questions.

"Look, she wasn't there. Tony found out she's in Sokovia. We-"

"What is she doing in Sokovia? Never mind, we should not have left her alone in the first place. Has the team left to get her yet?" Vision interrupted. Sam didn't know how to explain that only Steve was going and why. He stuttered a few times while Vision grew more impatient.

"Steve is taking Tony's private jet. I don't think he left yet. I can't go, but you can probably catch with him or you know, fly yourself."

"You can't go? Or won't." Sam swallowed. He couldn't really explain that he was trying to help by telling Vision.

"It's complicated," was all he managed to say.

"No. It really isn't," Vision breathed. Sam didn't need this. They say Vision has a human mind, then he should understand that it is complicated. That just because Wanda didn't mean to doesn't mean it didn't hurt while she tried to kill him.

"You should go, before Steve leaves," Sam said resolutely. Without saying another word Vision nodded and went right back out the wall he came in.

LINE BREAK

Steve was sitting in one of the brown leather seats in Tony's private jet. They hadn't taken off yet, but Steve was already reading the newspaper to keep his mind occupied. He'd have to pace himself though because he had a nine-hour flight ahead of him. Just as he was about to turn the page he had heard something.

"Okay, then how about move or I kick your ass."

Steve whipped his head to the direction of the back of the plane to where the pilot, Andrew, was just about to close the doors to prepare for take off. The next thing Steve knew Natasha was stepping onto the plane. She was smirking, most likely because she got to go back to being her intimidating self; even if it was only against a nice guy like Andrew.

"Did you think you'd get to fly off to go see some tall brunette and I wouldn't notice?" she said curtly as Andrew passed to get to the cockpit.

"You're not my wife."

"Oh, so that's what you've been telling her?" Nat smiled, sitting down on the leather chair across from him. But Steve didn't want her getting the wrong idea. She wasn't going with him.

"C'mon Natasha. I don't want you here."

"Well, that's the thing about marriage; we're together through thick and thin," she said crossing her legs for effect.

Before Steve could retort a crimson figure came through the wall of plane, which was undeniably the android, Vision. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt, but I think you two have the wrong definition of marriage. A marriage is a legally or formally recognized union be-"

"Thanks, Vision, but we were only joking," Natasha explained.

"Yeah, I may be 98, but I'm not senile," Steve chimed in.

"Oh, very well. I've come to assist in finding Wanda. Although, I was under the impression that you were alone," Vision said to Steve.

"Yeah, so was I," he replied eyeing Natasha, who pretended not to notice. Vision sat down near Nat and when Andrew announced that they were ready to take off Steve knew it would be too late to kick Nat off the plane. They all buckled their seatbelts, something Natasha did while looking at Steve in triumph. _This is going to be a long flight._

LINE BREAK

"Clint, what the hell are you doing here!?" Wanda's head clouded with confusion. She didn't expect to see anyone here, let alone Clint. She didn't know what to do with herself. She made several attempts to talk, but she didn't know what to ask. All that resolved were a few clicking sounds from Wanda opening and closing her mouth.

Clint continued to grunt as he picked himself off of the cold stone floor. He reached down for his bow and quiver, which flew off of Clint when Wanda blasted him, and rubbed his arm. "Well, it's nice to see you too, Wanda," he grumbled.

"I don't understand. What are you doing here? You retired." At least that's what Wanda was told. When she joined the Avengers Wanda was slowly introduced to the world of spies and lies. She thought that maybe Clint had lied about retiring and that he was here on a secret mission. _But what is he looking for? Does this have anything to do with me?_

"Relax kid. Take a breath. I did retire," Clint said casually, but Wanda still held up her guard. If Clint really retired then he wouldn't be here. And why would anyone come here if it didn't have something to do with Wanda herself? She thought maybe Steve informed the higher ups about what was happening with her. Steve had never really talked about these higher-ranking government suits by name, but she knew they were out there. They could have been looking for a way to take Wanda down, to cut their losses and get rid of her before she had a chance to cause anymore damage.

Her looks of hesitation and disbelief made Clint sigh. He looked down at her arms. They were by her sides, but her fingers were positioned outright, as if anticipating an attack.

"Put those away before you hurt yourself," he breathed. Clint tried to walk forward from the dimly lit hallway into Strucker's office, but Wanda side stepped in front of him.

"What do you mean by that? What do you know?" she asked sharply, with a raised voice.

"Nothing. I just…look calm down. I didn't mean anything by it. What's got you so wound up?" Wanda suddenly became aware of the tension throughout her body. Her forehead hurt from glaring, her jaw was clenched, and her body ached. She took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders. She must have looked like a raving mad woman to Clint.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I need answers." She spoke vaguely, not knowing what to say or how much he knew.

"Alright then were on the same side. C'mon." Clint passed by Wanda and went into the office. She hesitantly followed.

The office was a lot brighter, thanks to the windows that took up the entire wall adjacent to the door. The snow on the ground probably added to the brightness. The once clean and minimalistic office was now covered in papers and debris. The desk was no longer upright and neither were the two guest chairs in front of her. Old filing cabinets were upright, but the drawers and its contents covered the floor.

Wanda instinctively wrapped her arms around her torso. Her right arm went across her stomach while her left went diagonally up her chest, with her left hand cupping her right shoulder. She felt less exposed this way.

She couldn't think about one thing in particular. Her mind was as clouded and messy as the office. It was a strange feeling to be back in this office. She couldn't put a positive or negative spin on her feelings. Everything was just strange.

She suddenly felt a hand on her back and she jumped. Wanda turned around to see Clint eyeing her with a worried look.

"Hey, are you okay."

"Yeah, I guess. It's just weird being back. I don't really know what to make of everything."

"I get it. A lot of shit happened here."

"Well that's one way to put it. You still never told me. What are you doing here?"

"Steve didn't let me know if he was going to tell you, but I got the feeling he wouldn't."

"Steve? You're here on his orders?"

"Not orders, like I said I retired. But Steve asked me for a favor, so here I am."

"And that favor was to get info on me."

"The favor was to help a mutual friend whose been going through a rough time," he gave a half smile. "But yeah, he filled me in on everything. I was going to come to the tower and see Nat and Sam, but there was nothing I could do for them. So, Steve's been giving me updates while I'm here trying to help you." Shame washed over Wanda her as Clint talked about the incident that ended with their friends in the hospital. Her actions affected so many people.

"So, you know what I did."

"From what I hear it wasn't entirely you."

"That doesn't matter I still-"

"Of course it matters. Look kid, playing the blame game with yourself isn't gonna change anything. It'll just make you feel like shit and who does that help? Nobody. Obviously you came here looking for answers to, but Steve doesn't know, right?"

"No. Nobody's with me and no one knows I'm here."

"Well this makes my job easier." He pointed to the right side of the room. "You take this half of the room. All these papers probably won't help; if they were of any use then our people would've taken them already. But look again, just to be sure…" Clint continued to give out useless instructions while Wanda just nodded. Clint didn't know what he was looking for, but Wanda did. The paper files wouldn't be lying in some filing cabinet; they'd be hidden. Knowing Strucker, and his affiliation for secret passages, the files, if they still existed, would be in some hidden compartment in his office. After Clint was done talking Wanda told him about the files and the best way to find them.

"Well, why didn't you tell me that in the first place?"

"I was too mesmerized by your sultry voice," she joked.

"Shut up," he laughed. "And start looking around."

Clint eventually found a removable stone at the base of the stone wall. He reached his hand in the dark space and felt around. On the back of the stone above the removable one was a button. When he pressed the button a square piece of flooring rose up three feet, revealing a hidden filing cabinet with two drawers.

Clint and Wanda looked at each other before eyeing the newly founded cabinet. Wanda held her breath, hoping beyond all hope that the files were still in that cabinet. The two advanced, approaching slowly as if the dusty metal cabinet were a scared animal. Clint grabbed one of the handles and tugged, but it didn't budge. After a few more tries Wanda stepped in.

"Let me," she said. Clint took his hand off the handle and wiped his hands together to get some dust off. Wanda put her hand an inch from the handle and forced the door open by sending red energy to the lock through the keyhole.

Her mouth felt dry as she put her hand on the handle. If the answers weren't here then there would never be any answers at all for Wanda. She opened the drawer and saw at least a foot worth of files. She smiled a little and let out a small laugh. _Thank God. This has to be them._

She looked at Clint who nodded in understanding. He knew what this meant for Wanda. She was one step closer to fixing everything. She grabbed as many beige folders as she could, picked up Strucker's old desk with a wave of her hand, and put the files down. She heard Clint grab the rest and put them down next to her.

Now that she had the files, she didn't know what to look for in the papers themselves. She didn't know if she'd find a file labeled _All the Times Wanda Maximoff Went Crazy and Why._ She began quickly flipping through the papers, hoping something obvious would stand out, but she found no mention of her name at all.

"I think these are Pietro's files," Wanda said, the disappointment evident.

"Now wait a minute," Clint replied. He put the files he was looking through down and went back to the cabinet. "There are two drawers. Try opening the second one." Wanda did and the two pulled out more files and put them on the desk.

"Look, just open the files and make sure they're yours. We can take them and look at them in Novi Grad. If we stay much longer it'll be dark." Clint was right. Wanda looked out of the window to see the sky getting darker a lot earlier than she anticipated. Dark clouds hung low in the sky, which meant it was going to storm soon. Wanda didn't want to get stuck in the woods in the dark or the rain so she quickly opened the files and scanned them. She found her name multiple times on each page so they closed the files and put them in her backpack.

Their walk back to the city didn't include much chatter as they both had to focus on their feet. They used Wanda's stolen GPS because it was much easier than Clint's paper map and memory strategy. Even when they reached the path they couldn't really talk because it was harder to navigate as the dark settled in. Once they reached the outskirts of the city Clint told Wanda that he was staying at a motel nearby.

"You should come stay with me," he offered.

"As inviting as that is, I need to go back to the shelter."

"Why?"

"Well, I left some stuff there and there's someone I need to see," Wanda replied vaguely.

"Is it a boy?" Clint smirked.

"Yes, but not in the way you're thinking. His name is Marcin and he's only a kid."

"You are a kid."

"Shut up," she laughed, lightly hitting his arm. "He's a good kid and I promised I'd say goodbye and come up with a super hero name for him." Clint stopped in his tracks and put his arm out to stop Wanda from walking.

"Does he know about you, about what you can do?"

"Yes, but he figured it out I didn't tell him." Clint shot Wanda a disbelieving look. "I swear, he figured it out on his own!"

"Fine, but I don't want you going back there. He could've told someone and not everyone here is happy with what the avengers did in Sokovia," Clint reasoned. It wasn't an outlandish request, but Wanda had promised to come back. Fortunately, all Wanda had to do was give Clint the sad eyes before he said he'd accompany her to the shelter.

They first stopped at Clint's hotel so he could change into something a little more casual then they took a taxi to the shelter. The two were lucky because it didn't start to rain until they reached the hotel. On the way they talked mostly about Clint and his family. Wanda adored his kids and Laura was always sweet to her. She had only visited three or so times, but Laura told her she was always welcome as living in the middle of nowhere could get a little lonely sometimes.

Wanda asked how his kids were and she recalled how amazed Nathaniel was with her powers. Granted, he was only a few months old, but he we go into a fit of giggles whenever Wanda used them to make a spoon fill of baby goo fly in the air.

"I can't go back there till I fix this. It's too dangerous," Wanda said sadly, looking down at her lap. She didn't know if Clint would ever want her to visit farm regardless.

"Don't worry," Clint reassured, "we'll fix this." He gave her a reassuring smile then went back to looking out the taxi window at the dark and gloomy sky.

Eventually, they reached the shelter and paid the taxi driver. They walked in and Saw Natalia at the front desk. She said hi and introduced Clint.

"Oh, nice to meet you Mr. Barton. Is this the friend you'll be staying with from now?"

"No, he's a friend from the states. He's just here to help me out." Wanda smiled and looked at her friend. It wasn't really a lie. He was here to help her, even if she didn't know it at first.

Wanda didn't leave much at the shelter, just her bag with some extra clothing in it. But before she could even pick that up she saw Marcin lying in bed. He kept looking around and when their eyes met he jumped out of bed and ran up to Clint and Wanda. He couldn't stand still and he had a big toothy grin on his face.

"Hi, Wanda! Who's this? Did your mission go well? Does he have super powers like you do? Was your mission to find him? What-" He was firing out questions a little too loud for Wanda's liking so she cut him off.

"Marcin, calm down. I'll answer your questions just not here, okay?"

"Fine. Lets go to the common room." Marcin raced off. Wanda and Clint walked behind. She kept looking at her friend to see if he was angry with her for telling so much to Marcin, but he didn't look angry, just alert, like he was ready for someone to overhear and attack.

"Look, it's not like anyone would really believe Marcin if he told anyone. He would just sound like a kid with an over active imagination," she reasoned.

He didn't give a verbal answer, just a grunt. When they reached the common room they sat down and Marcin started asking questions again. She answered them as best she could. Yes, the mission was successful. Yes, the man with her was a friend. No, he didn't have any superpowers. No, she couldn't tell him the details of the mission.

"Look Marcin, I came to say goodbye. I have to go now."

"Do you have to? Can't you stay for a little longer?" Marcin questioned.

"No, I'm sorry, but I can't. My mission isn't done yet. But I think I came up with a good super hero name for you," she chirped.

"What is it?" he gasped.

"Wiccan Speed." She moved her hand in a line through the air for effect. "You liked the witch part in my name so that's where the wiccan part comes from, and you're really fast so that's the speed part."

"I like it!" Marcin jumped out of the air doing a superhero pose. Wanda laughed and even Clint smiled.

Afterwards, Wanda reminded Marcin not to tell anyone she was there and they said goodbye. He hugged her, something she wasn't prepared for so she stumbled a bit, and wished her luck on her mission. Wanda also said goodbye to Natalia and asked that she tell her husband goodbye for her.

They went back to Clint's hotel so they could look at the files in private. His room was small, with only one small bed, a closet, and nightstand, but it had a desk they could lay everything out on. The light pink walls and hard brown flooring didn't really contrast well, but the space was clean enough.

"Wanda, when was the last time you slept?" Wanda was so busy taking the files out of her backpack that she was thrown by the question.

"What? I-I don't know. Why?" In truth the past couple of days seemed like one big day in her mind. She had a hard time figuring out how many days it had been since the incident. _It happened at night, then by the next night I was on a plane and in Sokovia. Then, I spent a day at the shelter. Now this day... made three days. It couldn't have been._

"You just look really tired. Maybe you should sleep for a little while and I'll look through the files."

"I fell asleep at the shelter for a few hours," she remembered, not even acknowledging Clint's suggestion. Wanda wiped her eyes and blinked a few times. She had been running on fear and hope for the past three days, but now that she had the files she became acutely aware as to how tired she was. She looked to the right at a mirror hanging on the wall. She did look tired. More than tired, actually. Wanda thought she looked as if she were dying. She rubbed her eyes again.

"We still don't know why I do…that thing." Wanda spoke with her hands to make up for lack of words and explanations. "I don't know if it's safe for me to sleep," she continued.

"Wanda, you look exhausted. And you were having a bad dream when you were sleeping. I think it was the emotions from the dream that set you off, not the sleeping itself."

"But what if I have a dream and it happens again. I could hurt you," Wanda challenged.

"Look, you need to sleep. At the first sign that you're dreaming I'll wake you up, okay? You can't go on like this," he sighed. And he was right. Wanda was exhausted and every time she blinked her eyes burned.

"Fine, but only for a few hours." Clint nodded in agreement and Wanda took her bag to the bathroom to change into more comfortable clothing. When she returned to the room Clint was already sitting at the desk going through the files. She could trust him with this. Soon, her attention drew to the small, but almost seductive bed. Her eyes were shut right as her head hit the pillow.

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All right! Another long chapter has come and gone. I hope you all liked it. A lot happened in this chapter. Wanda and Clint reunited and some of the team is going to Sokovia! I love getting reviews and that people like where I'm taking the story. Hopefully I made the complexities and struggles of the characters true to themselves and everyone likes what I'm doing with them. So, in the next chapter we will see Steve & Co. reach Sokovia and meet up with Clint and Wanda. Also, we will get some answers out of Strucker's files so stay tuned! (Also, I'm going camping today so hopefully a bear won't eat me so I can finish the story)


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